I’ve always wanted to watch the Oman soccer team playing –– live in the stadium. It didn’t happen during the recent Gulf Cup (thanks to my work schedule). Yesterday, when I got a pass for the Oman versus Indonesia AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, I jumped at it. Going by recent form, I did expect Oman to score half a dozen goals against their less fancied opponent. Half a dozen scoring chances were created during the whole match, but Oman failed to convert those easy sitters into goals. The match ended in a goalless draw.

Omani fans, in colourful paraphernalia, had come in large numbers to see their team continue its great form. Around 40% of the Bowsher stadium was occupied by fans. The atmosphere was great with sounds of drumbeat reverberating across the stadium. Indonesia too had their share of crowd support, but their team looked as if they were keen to avert a possible defeat than play some attractive soccer. Oman had 70% of the ball procession, and they fumbled time and again in the Indonesian citadel.

Ali Al-Habsi wasn’t there, so was Badr Al Maimani. Imad Al Hosni was trying very hard to regain his form. Goalkeeper Huwaidi Sulaiman was very impressive like in the previous few friendly matches. I was very impressed with Fawzi Basheer, Kanu and Rabea. They look rock solid. Post-match press conference saw Claude Le Roy not very happy the way the game was conducted by the Bangladeshi referee. “I can write a book about him,” he said in utter disappointment. The Oman coach admitted the boys were exhausted after the last game which saw more than 120 minutes of on-field action. I hope Oman will do well in qualifiers against Australia and Kuwait in the weeks to come. I feel sorry for Omani players who didn’t get enough time to relish their Gulf Cup win.

By the way, what could be the French way of saying “fuck you”? Finally, thank god, ROP didn’t book a case against Le Roy for uttering derogatory word in public. I love these off-field action, makes my day. Thank you, Macala and Le Roy. I feel sad not because Bahrain couldn’t make it to the semis, but because Macala isn’t around anymore. Omani journalists (Arabic press) just hate him and it is no secret that a few editorials against Macala in the largest selling Arabic daily in Oman cost him his job after the last GCC Cup in Abu Dhabi a couple of year ago.

Cool, Bader got a chance and he displayed his support for the Palestinian cause. What about other 9 players (minus Fawzi Basheer) who were clad in t-shirts carrying a variety of messages and were waiting in wings to show case their graffiti. No goals, no t-shirt display, oops. Hope they will get lucky in semis.

Still on Bader’s t-shirt, I wonder what would happen if his t-shirt got mixed up in the laundry section of Al Bustan Palace Hotel. It is 4pm and the team management is asking Bader to get ready in a jiffy. He pulls over his jersey along with the t-shit in a hurry to catch the team bus. After three hours, he scores a goal, and pompously lifts his jersey to show his Gaza t-shirt. Alas, that isn’t going well with the fans who jeer him. Perturbed, Bader checks his t-shirt…and is shocked to see Pamela Anderson smiling at him!

PS: Moral brigade, please don’t read between lines. I love the Omani soccer team as much as you do.

Soccer is flavour of the fortnight. Starting tomorrow, Oman will play host to the 19th edition of Gulf Cup, a prestigious tournament which is considered as the soccer World Cup in this part of the world. If you are in Muscat, you wouldn’t miss the football mania sweeping across the city from the last few days. Cars, streets, shops are decked up in national colours and fans are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to show solidarity with the national team. By the looks of it, every time Oman wins a match, fans are going to party hard, really hard. I hope Oman emerges winner in this edition of the Gulf Cup as they chocked in the finals at UAE a couple of years back. What an anti-climax it was.

The Omani team seems to be in nice nick, with Le Roy managing to set the house in order just before the D-day. Bolton has given green signal to Habsi to play in the tournament, and this would add more confidence to the side which has seen drastic improvement in the last couple of months. Can Le Roy do what Macala couldn’t? This will be answered in a fortnight. Imagine the kind of money the boys from Oman would pocket if they were to emerge victorious. I am not talking about the tournament prize money, but those from the sponsors/well wishers in Oman. Biggies like Omantel and BankMuscat must be already waiting with their cash bags to shower the team like never before.

Like I have said before in an earlier post, the day I landed in Muscat, Oman was playing Qatar in the finals, and it looked like the whole of Muscat was painted in green and red. Add to it hundreds of slow moving cars along the highway, honking in unison with a typical sound. A sight not to be missed for soccer aficionados. During my initial days, being a soccer fanatic, I used to talk about the game with my Omani front office guy, and he would amaze me with details about some second division club in Spain. Naming 11 players from Real Madrid would not be so difficult, imagine knowing details about a second division club? Amazing is not the word.

CAUTION FOR EXPAT MOTORISTS: Never drive towards Muttrah Corniche – Old Muscat – Sidab side when Oman is playing. Fans in these parts have tendency to over celebrate and turn ‘hooligans’ at times. They might stop your car and climb over the bonnet in their celebration frenzy. It would be generally advisable to say indoors during evenings, more so the days when the national team will be in action. You might get struck in massive traffic jams as well.

TAILPIECE:

At a seminar held by Dubai Press Club on “How Do We Retain the Gulf Cup?” the participants unanimously predicted victory for the UAE team at the 19th Gulf Cup championship.

My advice for UAE team: Either play brilliant soccer or go for black magic.