Ivankovic calls on Oman players to put in their best

Muscat, Nov 15

Oman national football team will take on Germany team on Wednesday in an international friendly match ahead of the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar just five days away. The match will kick off at 9:00 pm at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. This match will be the final warm-up game for the team ahead of the World Cup.

Red Warriors players will have a great chance to play against the four times World Cup champions. On February 18, 1998, Oman had played against Germany team and the match ended at 2-0 win for the latter. Today’s friendly will be the second clash between both teams after 24 years.

Oman head coach Branko Ivankovic welcomed the Germany delegation and wished them a pleasant stay in Muscat. “We are expecting a wonderful sporting event as the national team will play against the well-known German team. The German squad is full of top players who are representing top European league clubs. It is a golden opportunity for domestic players to play such highly anticipated match. My message to the players is to gain the desired experience and enjoy playing the match,” Croatian coach added.

Responding to an inquiry on Oman’s style in today’s game, Branko said, ”Of course, all the players will work hard to register a positive score as possible. It is an excellent experience for the national player to meet and play closely in the pitch against top ranking players. This game is taking place in the right time as everyone in Oman is celebrating the National Day.”

Branko concluded his remarks in the press meet saying that Germany is always a strong candidate to win the World Cup.

Oman’s midfielder Harib al Saadi said that these strong matches are awaiting fixtures for any player in the region. “We are looking for these kind of matches since long time. I believe this match will give the chance for all the players to gain the required experience and to have the right exposure. Germany team is taking part in almost all the World Cup editions which means a great chance for our players. Our best wishes for Germany in the World Cup,” he ended.

The German players have been training on Tuesday at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in presence of huge crowd of media representatives. Germany will begin their campaign in Qatar with a match against Japan on November 23. Then, they will face off Spain on November 27 in a strong clash before ending their group matches on December 1 against Costa Rica.