OFA chief sought Le Roy’s opinion on new coach

Oman Football Association chairman Sayyid Khalid al Busaidy has revealed that he discussed the credentials of new national coach Paul Le Guen with the former incumbent Claude Le Roy.

Le Guen was appointed as coach last week on a two-year deal. He replaces fellow Frenchman Le Roy, who was fired in January after failing to qualify for the Asian Cup and a poor display in the 2010 Gulf Cup.

Sayyid Khalid told Muscat Daily, “Picking Oman’s new coach was an important and difficult process which took some time. I was in touch with my friends within Oman and abroad throughout this process and Le Roy is one of those friends. Though I did not discuss any particular name initially with him, when we zeroed in on Le Guen, Le Roy praised his achievements on the coaching field.”

The OFA chairman believes that 47 year old Le Guen is a modern coach who will be able to take Oman to the next level.

“There has been a lot changes in coaching methods in the last decade or so. With modern tools and technology available at your disposal and talent around you, good results can be achieved.

Europe is the hub of modern football and we believe Le Guen is one of the modern coaches we need here,” said Sayyid Khalid. Shedding light on the six-month process of appointing a new coach, Sayyid Khalid said that the board always intended to hire a European and that Le Guen was a strong favourite throughout.

He said, “In a board, people can have different opinions and choices with names, which is good. However, the board was unanimous on the criteria we set for the new coach and there was also unity in selecting a European coach. In the end I can say it was a unanimous decision.”

Le Guen's first competitive game in charge will be against Myanmar or Mongolia in a World Cup qualifier on July 23. He will join the team for the first time next month for a training camp in Lebanon.

The OFA chief said that former Ahli-Sidab coach Mohanna Said will work as Le Guen's assistant. Sayyid Khalid hopes that having an experienced Omani in the set-up will help bring Le Guen up to speed quickly.

“Said is an experienced coach,” said Sayyid Khalid. “The new coach will have two to three weeks to get to know the team well and we wish him a good start.”

As the OFA embarks on a new era under Le Guen, Sayyid Khalid said that lessons have been learnt from the previous set-up. Le Roy also offered advice on the future of football in Oman before he left.

“Le Roy was very optimistic and realistic in his views on Omani football. He told me where we lack and pointed out the areas we need to focus upon. Le Roy believes Oman has a lot of potential to progress further in football and I share his views with the kind of talent we have in our country,” said Sayyid Khalid.