Sport | Football
Charged Omanis bent on realising dream
Oman players are determined that nothing and no-one can stop them from realising their dream of winning the Gulf Cup this time.
- By Yasir Abbasher, Senior Reporter
- Published: 23:51 January 15, 2009
- Image Credit: Reuters
- Qatar's Yousuf Ahmad (left) fights for the ball with Oman's Mohammad Rabea during their semi-final match of the 19th Gulf Cup soccer tournament in Muscat.
Muscat: Oman players are determined that nothing and no-one can stop them from realising their dream of winning the Gulf Cup this time.
"We have waited for this chance a long time and we will never squander it." Emad Al Hosani, the team's striker, told Gulf News at Al Bustan Hotel yesterday.
"We have worked hard for four years since the 17th Gulf Cup in Doha," said the striker.
He added: "But we failed to win the eluding title despite reaching the finals twice but we lost both to the hosts, Qatar in 2004 and the UAE in 2007.
"This time, we are the hosts and we are already in the final and we should benefit from the home advantages," Al Hosani added.
"I am not thinking of winning the top scorer title as much as I am concerned with helping my country to win the Gulf Cup," Hassan Rabie, the leading scorer in the tournament with four goals, said.
"We are all aware of the importance of winning our last match which will be against Saudi Arabia.
"It will not easy to beat them but that is not impossible either."
About his personal outstanding form, Rabie said: "It is my first Gulf Cup tournament and I was determined to do my best with the team to secure a permanent place in the line up after many criticised Claude Le Roy for selecting me because I play in the second division.
"I am happy that I was able to defend the coach's decision and prove this criticism wrong."
"The real test will be the final match," Ahmad Hadid, the Omani midfielder, told Gulf News.
"If we won our final match then our task will be successful, otherwise it will be like we have lost all our matches in the tournament because our fans and people will not be happy or ourselves, if we did not win the Gulf Cup."
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