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Oman squad confident of victory over host Indonesia
Visitors Oman are upbeat their squad will upset home team Indonesia in the 2011 Asian Cup Group B pre-qualifying match at the Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Wednesday
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isitors Oman are upbeat their squad will upset home team Indonesia in the 2011 Asian Cup Group B pre-qualifying match at the Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Wednesday.
Oman national coach Claude Le Roy said Tuesday his players would be ready to face the hosts.
“Our preparation has been good. Our target is to win the match,” he was quoted as saying by Antara news agency.
Oman will rely on goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi, who plays for England’s Bolton Wanderers.
“It won’t be easy to face Indonesia. The home team will fight its best to win so it can reach the final round,” Frenchman Le Roy said.
“I know I have just joined my teammates, but I’m ready to play,” Al Habsi said.
Le Roy said he would order his players to pay special attention to Indonesia’s Bambang Pamungkas, Boaz Salossa, Ponaryo Astaman and Budi Sudarsono.
“Bambang has skills and speed that need to be watch out for,” he said of the country’s top striker.
With a slim chance of qualifying for the final round, Indonesia’s head coach Benny Dolo is eager for his team’s first victory.
“We don’t have any option but to win,” he said, adding his players would be prepared for the match.
Indonesian captain Charis Yulianto urged his players to remain calm on the pitch.
“We have to work hard and build our motivation to beat Oman. However, I hope we won’t be burdened [by the ambition] because it could backfire,” he said.
Both Indonesia and Oman — who tied 0-0 in the first round-robin match — still have a chance to qualify for the final round if they win their remaining matches.
In another match, Australia faces a much trickier task away to group leader Kuwait, who stunned the Socceroos with a 1-0 win in Canberra last year, Reuters reported.
Both Kuwait and Australia are level on seven points from four matches and the two countries can both qualify on Wednesday, depending on the result between Indonesia and Oman.
Indonesia is bottom of the group after collecting only three points from four matches — a 1-1 tie against Oman, 0-0 draw against Australia and 1-1 tie and a 1-2 defeat to Kuwait. Oman is third with four points.
“The match [Wednesday] will kick off at 6:30 p.m. The kickoff is one hour earlier than the schedule designed by the AFC [Asian Football Confederation] but it has been approved,” local organizer Joko Driyono said.
Despite the slim chance, the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI)’s National Team Board has allotted cash bonuses for the team.
“There have always been bonuses in each match won [by the national team] at the pre-qualification stage of the Asian Cup,” board chairman Rahim Soekasah said Tuesday, declining to go into details.
Referee Muhammad Saleh Subkhidin of Malaysia will lead the match and will be assisted by Mu Yux Sin of China and Goh Mek Peng Jerfy of Singapore.
Organizing committee member Tigor Salamboboy said the organizers had provided 46,000 tickets for the match, with prices ranging from Rp 20,000 (US$2) to Rp 100,000.
“The tickets will be on sale on the day of the match starting at 10 a.m.,” he said.
