Preview:Preview: Oman vs Qatar - prediction, team news, lineups

The fourth round of Asian World Cup Qualifiers kicks off when Oman and Qatar do battle on October 8, at the Thani bin Jassim Stadium.

Both sides missed out on automatic qualification by a long way in the previous round, and with just one such place up for grabs in Group A, they will go hammer and tongs at it for a place in next year’s showpiece.

Match preview

For a team that has never experienced the glamour of the World Cup, Oman are a whisker away from booking a ticket to North America for the first time in their history.

The secret weapon behind the Reds or Al-Ahmar in Arabic is the presence of one Carlos Queiroz, who was appointed to lead Oman in July this year.

The former Real Madrid boss has only overseen four games in his new role but has not yet tasted defeat inside regulation time.

Oman narrowly missed out on a chance to play in the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Cup, after they finished second to Uzbekistan only on goal difference.

Queiroz’s charges were level with India after 90 minutes, but lost the bronze medal match 4-3 on penalties; however, recent results have shown that they can cause an upset in the upcoming qualifiers.

Considering Oman’s record, they have only been beaten once across their previous 10 outings in normal time, and the Reds edged out Qatar 2-1 in their most recent meeting at the Arabian Gulf Cup in 2024, a competition they finished as runners-up to Bahrain.

Being in a group with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Oman should fancy their chances to win outright and qualify directly for the finals next year.

Asian countries have an affection for European managers, and it is Julen Lopetegui who took over at Qatar from compatriot Luis Garcia in May this year.

Like his Portuguese counterpart, Lopetegui has overseen four fixtures since hopping into the role but has delivered largely different results with one win, two defeats, and a draw.

Qatar’s form must improve drastically if they are to have a chance at automatic qualification from this group, especially after they lost half of their qualifiers in the previous round.

The 2022 World Cup hosts were involved in international friendlies in late August and early September, which saw them go on a run of three games without a win (D1, L2), and just a solitary victory across their previous five outings (L3, D1).

The positive news for Qatari fans is regarding their head-to-head record against Oman, because they have won three of the last four meetings, two of which were in World Cup Qualifiers.

Across the last 10 battles, Qatar have won half of them, with that meeting in 2024 being the only triumph for Oman since 2010.

Defeats to Lebanon and Russia recently cast some doubts over whether Lopetegui can inspire Al-Annabi, but Wednesday’s affair should offer a solid indication of how far the team have come under his mentorship.

Oman World Cup Qualifying form:

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Oman form (all competitions):

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Qatar World Cup Qualifying form:

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Qatar form (all competitions):

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Team News

Queiroz has selected a similar squad to that which competed in the CAFA Cup, with Faiyz Al-Rusheidi anchoring the defence and Ahed Al-Mashaiki sitting in front of the back four.

Al-Rusheidi plays his club football in the Oman Professional League, which has recently kicked off its new season, where he already scored in his only appearance.

Issam Al Sabhi is the man that the Portuguese mentor will look to lead the line once again, after the 28-year-old scored three goals in his last four appearances for the national team.

Al Sabhi netted a brace in his last meeting with Qatar, registering their first win against these opponents in 15 years.

Lopetegui does have some injury concerns to contend with, as Ismail Mohamad is battling a hamstring injury and backup goalkeeper Salah Zakaria is unavailable after going under the knife.

Almoez Ali is in place to lead the line on Wednesday, especially after the striker scored 12 goals in 12 World Cup qualifying appearances across rounds two and three.

Oman possible starting lineup:

Al Mukhaini; Mabrook, Al Rushaidi, Al Khamisi, Al Kaabi; Al-Mashaiki; Al Rawahi, Fawaz, Al Busaidi, Al Yahmadi; Al Sabhi

Qatar possible starting lineup:

Barsham; Ali, Pedro Miguel, Khoukni, Al Amin; Madibo, Salman; Afif, Muntari, Fathi; Ali