Morocco's Tarik Sektioui, the head coach of Oman's national team, has talked up his side's readiness ahead of an eagerly awaited clash with Iraq, stressing the difficulty of an opening fixture in the Arabian Gulf Cup, "Gulf 27", which begins amid fierce competition between the teams of Group One.
Oman face Iraq at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in the first round, in a group that also features Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Each side is chasing one of the two qualification tickets to the semi-final stage.
Sektioui confirmed that his coaching staff are weighing up Iraq's previous results, but he also stressed how much the circumstances have changed. "We take the team's previous results into consideration, and historically we have had our battles and campaigns in past tournaments, but the situation is different now, and we are in the process of building a new team in a smart and different way," he said during the press conference.
You can discuss topics and news in greater depth in the "Kooora" forums
He added: "We are ready in every respect, and we have high spirits within the team to reach the best state of readiness. We will play in a compact tournament that includes strong teams, and our goal is long-term, and we have a long-term vision to build a competitive team."
Turning to his opening opponents, Sektioui stressed that Iraq have undergone notable development, alongside changes to a squad that differs from the one that featured at the World Cup.
He said: "We will face Iraq, a developed team, which made a number of changes to the line-up that took part in the World Cup, and we will play in the strongest group in the tournament."
You can discuss topics and news in greater depth in the "Kooora" forums
We want to make the fans happy
Oman player Ahmed Al-Rawahi, meanwhile, insisted the team want to feed off the fans' support during the tournament, praising the warm hospitality in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Al-Rawahi said: "I thank the Kingdom for the fine hospitality, as the atmosphere and training facilities are wonderful. Our fans have a special flavour in the Gulf tournaments, and we are working to make them happy and to compete strongly."
He added: "The players' mental factor is important, and we have a coach experienced in this matter, and since his arrival he has made a number of changes. We have a mix of experienced and young players, and we will benefit from this factor in our matches."
You can discuss topics and news in greater depth in the "Kooora" forums