Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) extends its condolences to the family and friends of former Oman beach soccer goalkeeper, Haitham Harib Showan, who passed away on Saturday.
The experienced 35-year-old custodian was an instrumental figure for the Oman beach soccer national team having guided them to the 2015 AFC Beach Soccer Championship title in Doha, Qatar and appeared in the 2011 and 2015 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup editions.
Most recently, his heroics between the posts ensured Oman sealed their third consecutive place in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Paraguay after the West Asians sealed third place in the AFC Beach Soccer Thailand 2019 in March 2019.
Haitham burst onto the Continental stage in 2011, as Oman established themselves as a force in Asian beach soccer when they finished second in the 2011 AFC Beach Soccer Championship on home soil.
His crowning moment would come four years later when he saved the decisive spot-kick in the 2015 final as the West Asians defeated Japan 3-2 on penalties to be crowned Asian champions in Qatar – the Sultanate’s best-ever performance to date.
The thoughts and prayers of the AFC and the rest of the Asian football community are with the family and friends of Haitham Harib Showan as well as the Oman Football Association during this difficult time.