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Oman’s Hashim Saleh (left) looks on as his team-mate Hassan Rabee’a fails to get past Kuwaiti goalkeeper Nawaf Khalid in the inaugural match of the 19th Gulf Cup at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex yesterday. PICTURE RIGHT: Omani fans display a poster of His Majesty the Sultan during the match. INSET: Ali al Habsi receives player of the match award. — Pictures by Mohammed Mahjoub

By A Seshagiri Rao
THE expectations were high but disappointingly the Sultanate squad failed to live upto them as they started their campaign in the 19th Gulf Cup Football Championship with an unimpressive goalless draw against a determined Kuwait at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex (SQSC) yesterday. In the inaugural match, played in front of near capacity crowd, the hosts started as favorites with the soccer-crazy Omanis expecting the team to begin with a bang but they, as admitted by their French coach Claude le Roy, were lucky to escape with a draw in Group ‘A’. It was the under-prepared Kuwaitis, unsure of participating till the last minute due to Fifa-imposed suspension of their national soccer body, who won the praise of one and all, including Le Roy, with their superior game.

But it should be mentioned that it was a case of missed opportunities, which were plenty, for both teams. After a drab first session, both teams produced some exciting soccer in the second but wasted several open chances. For the hosts, experienced campaigners Ismail al Ajmi, Hassan Mudhaffar and Hashim Saleh and young Hassan Rabee'a were guilty of missing sitters. But again it was Kuwait who had more scoring opportunities than the hosts, who as Le Roy said, had to thank their custodian Ali al Habsi for saving the day with an outstanding performance and the goalie was deservedly rewarded with player of the match award. "We have to thank Ali (al Habsi) for helping us to share the points with the Kuwaitis today," said le Roy. "Ali was outstanding under the bar and saved certain goals in the second session."

The Frenchman also admitted that Kuwait deserved to win the match. "Based on the performance in the second session, Kuwait deserved to be the winners. They exerted more pressure on our players in the later stages and created several opportunities." "But at the same our boys also created plenty of chances but were unable to translate them into goals. That's football," he said. The Sultanate team, whom the local fans are expecting to go all the way to lift the cup for the first after clinching second place in the last two editions, disappointed the local fans with their shaky start. "We are disappointed with our performance and we are sad to disappoint the fans as well," said le Roy. "But I am happy to says that we earned a point from the match and have two matches to against Iraq and Bahrain.

We have to play better than we did today to progress further in the tournament." His Kuwaiti counterpart, Mohammed Ibrahim was visibly happy with his team's performance. "It was a tough opening game against a well-prepared team. Oman were the favourites but our boys deserve praise for the way they played," he said. "I want to congratulate my boys for a spirited display. Though not a winning start, we are happy to earn a point and now we look forward for the rest of the matches with more confidence and optimism," said the former captain of Kuwait. Claude le Roy started with the same lineup, with the exception of Hassan Rabee'a, that won the second place at the 18th Gulf Cup in Abu Dhabi.

But the pressure, of huge expectations and playing at home, showed on the team. Fauzi Basheer, Ismail al Ajmi, Ahmed Hadeed, Hassan Mudhaffar and Ahmed Mubarak 'Kanu' all struggled initially while forwards Imaad al Hosni and Hassan Rabee'a hardly got a look at the rival goal. On the other hand, after a slow and defensive start, the Kuwaitis came into their own. Led from the front by hardworking forwards Badr al Matwa and Ahmed Ajab al Ajmi, they went on to trouble Omani defenders captain Mohammed Rabee'a, Khalifa Ail and Mohammed Sheiba. The pressure showed on the Omani players and it showed as early as sixth minute when Imaad was booked by the Uzbekistan match referee Rafshan Amranov for diving in the rival box.

In the first 10 minutes, Oman threatened the rival citadel on three occasions but the alert Kuwaiti defenders saved the trouble for their custodian Nawaf Khalid. On two occasions they stole the ball from Hassan Mudhaffar inside the box and then forced Ismail al Ajmi to shoot wide of the mark. Hassan Mudhaffar and his colleagues continued to waste several opportunities losing the ball possession easily to their rivals throughout the match. Hassan was also lucky not to have conceded an own goal when he made diving clearance infront of the goal and the ball missed both Al Habis and goal narrowly. Sensing danger, Le Roy made two changes at the start of the second session itself. In an attempt to strengthen the forwardline he send in Hashim Saleh & young Ahmed Manae' al Noobi in place Ahmed Hadeed & Ismail al Ajmi.

But it was Kuwait who troubled the hosts. In the first 15 minutes, Ahmed Ajab and Saleh al Hindi threatened the hosts citadel and if not for Ali's acrobatic saves they would have succeeded in their attempts. After seeing Hassan Mudhaffar, Hashim Saleh and Imaad al Hosni missing clear chances, Oman coach made another change sending in Badr al Maimani in place of the latter. But the Omani simply failed to produce the all-important goal and settled for a draw, which makes if difficult for them in the remaining group matches against Iraq (January 7) and Bahrain (January 10). "I know it is going to be tough. But I also know what this team is capable of doing. These players are talented and have the experience of playing in the Gulf Cup.

I am confident they will rise to the occasion and perform well in the remaining matches," said a hopeful Le Roy. Oman: Ali al Habsi, Mohammed Rabee'a, Khalifa Ayil, Mohammed Sheiba, Hassan Mudhaffar, Fauzi Basheer, Ahmed Hadeed (Hashim Saleh), Ahmed Mubarak 'Kanu', Ismail al Ajmi (Ahmed Manae'), Imaad al Hosni (Badr al Maimani), Hassan Rabee'a. Kuwait: Nawaf Khalid, Massad al Anzi, Saleh al Hindi (Waleed Ali Juma) , Badr al Matawa, Ahmed Ajab al Ajmi, Nohair al Shammari, Yaqoob Tahir Abdullah, Garah Mohammed, Talal Naif, Mohammed Garag (Khalid Kalaf Mattar), Hussain Fadil Ali.