Muscat – Oman has stepped up preparations for the 27th Gulf Cup with an intensive training camp in Muscat as coach Tarik Sektioui assesses fitness, tactical readiness and squad cohesion ahead of next month’s tournament in Jeddah.

The national team has completed morning and evening sessions at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Bausher combining gym work with tactical and technical drills.

The camp was part of Oman’s build-up to the Gulf Cup, which will be staged in Saudi Arabia from September 23 to October 6.

Sektioui used the sessions to assess players called for the domestic camp and work on combinations before finalising his plans for the tournament.

Oman faces a demanding group-stage schedule, beginning against Iraq on September 23 before meeting hosts Saudi Arabia on September 26. It will conclude the group phase against Kuwait on September 29.

The Red Warriors head to Jeddah after finishing runners-up at the previous Gulf Cup in Kuwait.

Oman has won the regional title twice, first on home soil in Muscat in 2009 and again in Kuwait in 2017.

It is level with the UAE and Bahrain on two Gulf Cup titles.

The latest camp placed particular emphasis on physical conditioning and tactical discipline as Oman seeks to build on its strong showing in the last edition and mount another challenge for the regional crown.