Soccer Football - World Cup - AFC Qualifiers - Group A - Qatar v Afghanistan - Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar - November 16, 2023 Qatar coach Carlos Queiroz before the match REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari
(Reuters) -Oman striker Muhsen Al-Ghassani has backed former Real Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz to lead the Gulf state to their first-ever World Cup as the country prepares for the next phase of Asia's preliminaries for the 2026 finals.
The Omanis take on Qatar in Group A of the fourth round of the continent's qualifiers in Doha on Wednesday before facing off against the United Arab Emirates three days later in the battle for one of Asia's two remaining World Cup slots.
The group winners will join Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran, Uzbekistan and Jordan in securing a ticket for the finals at the first 48-team finals and Al-Ghassani has backed the wily Queiroz to make a difference.
"He's a big coach, he has experience," Al-Ghassani said of Queiroz, who is attempting to book his fifth World Cup appearance after featuring three times with Iran and once with his native Portugal.
"He's worked with us for about three months and he's worked well and he's helping us to go to the World Cup hopefully.
"It's a good chance for us, for my country to make history. We're prepared for these games and we can do it."
Oman, currently ranked 78th in the world, have never qualified for the World Cup while the Qataris are attempting to progress through the preliminaries for the first time having previously appeared as hosts in 2022.
The UAE will be attempting to book a return to the finals 36 years after their only previous appearance, in Italy in 1990.
"We have to focus and we have to be patient," said Al-Ghassani. "We have to fight together and, I tell you, we can do it. All my teammates have confidence and they have worked well to take this chance."
The battle for the other automatic World Cup berth will be held in Jeddah, where six-times qualifiers Saudi Arabia will kick off the fourth round against Patrick Kluivert-coached Indonesia on Wednesday.
Iraq, led by former Australia coach Graham Arnold, complete the line-up in Group B.
The winners of each group advance directly to the World Cup with the runners-up facing off in November over two legs to determine which nation will appear in an intercontinental playoff in March for the last remaining berth.
(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Christian Radnedge)
