Doha, Qatar – Oman head coach Carlos Queiroz said his boys are “fully prepared” and confident ahead of the high-stakes encounter against Qatar in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian playoff clash at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on Wednesday.

With only two games standing between Oman and a historic World Cup berth, Queiroz stressed on the team’s focus, unity, and determination to deliver under pressure.

“We face Qatar followed by the UAE, and we’re fully prepared with both the motivation and confidence to achieve positive results and qualify, Queiroz said at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday. “The players are ready and committed to delivering their best performance. We’ll play with high spirit, strong competitiveness, and singular focus, regardless of whatever challenges we encounter.”

Queiroz added: “All teams have equal opportunity, and our players are stronger and more aware of this stage’s importance. We must perform at our highest level and secure positive results in both matches. We recognise each team has strengths and weaknesses, so we’re ensuring our players maintain complete focus and minimise errors.”

Oman squad features seasoned players including Ali al Busaidi, Harib al Saadi, Jamil al Yahmadi, Muhsen al Ghassani, Salah al Yahyaei, and Issam al Subhi and emerging talents such as A’hed al Mashaikhi, Abdulrahman al Mushaifri, Ghanem al Habsi, and Musab al Shaqsi.

Al Busaidi was confident about Oman’s chances.

“Qualification has been our objective since the qualifiers began, and we’re now at the crucial stage to achieve it. This match is extremely important, and we’ve prepared optimally. Pressure is normal in such circumstances, and we’re ready to handle it with full concentration and confidence.”

The match, the 36th fixture between the two sides, will kick off at 7:00 pm Oman time.

Of their previous 35 matches, Oman have secured seven victories against Qatar’s 19 wins, with seven matches drawn. Their most recent encounter in the 2024 Arabian Gulf Cup saw Oman triumph 2-1.

Qatar coach Julen Lopetegui said they are focussed on the challenge. “We face an important match tomorrow against Oman. Our preparations are proceeding with high morale and enthusiasm as we work toward optimal physical and mental readiness. We understand the responsibility we carry,” said Lopetegui.

“We’re focused on tomorrow’s challenge against a strong opponent featuring distinguished players who defeated us in our previous encounter. Our concentration is on enhancing our collective strength and team performance. We must play distinctively and deal with every detail – our greatest challenge is to perform at our absolute best,” added the Spaniard.

The current playoff stage features a single-match format with six teams divided into two groups. Each group winner secures direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup, while each runner-up advances to a two-leg playoff. The playoff winner then progresses to the FIFA intercontinental playoff tournament featuring six teams from different confederations, where only two will ultimately qualify for the 2026 World Cup finals.