Courtesy: Muscat Daily


Oman's women football team to have coach soon

by Ashok Purohit

December 01, 2016

A new chapter in Oman's football history was written on Tuesday when the Oman Football Association (OFA) successfully concluded the inaugural edition of the women's futsal league at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.

Al Ittifaq was crowned champion, having topped the one-round round-robin league with 15 points, while Ahli-Sidab A finished runner-up with 12 points.

Ahli-Sidab B took the bronze with nine points in a tournament that had the participation of six teams.

In her remarks to Muscat Daily on Wednesday, Aisha al Jabri, the head of the OFA women's football department, said, “The encouraging response from the clubs and girls in the maiden championship augurs well for the women's football that is backed strongly by the OFA board.

“We plan to expand women's football in Oman and as the first step towards developing the game, we are soon going to hire an overseas woman coach. We have short-listed three candidates - two from Lebanon and one from Iran. All three will be visiting Muscat soon for talks and a final decision will be taken in the coming weeks.”

Jabri also pointed out that all seven of the officiating referees at the futsal league were women, a first of its kind. “Besides the teams from Ittifaq and Ahli-Sidab, we had participation of teams from GUtech, Seeb and Ittihad. We had invited all the clubs affiliated to the OFA. Though it was the first championship, we are ready now to host such events in different cities of Oman,” said Jabri, who recently attended a seminar on women's football in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, organised by the Asian Football Confederation.

The six teams played against each other from November 1-15 and the closing ceremony was held on Tuesday under the patronage of H H Mona bint Fahad al Said, Assistant Vice-Chancellor for International Cooperation at Sultan Qaboos University.

H H Mona gave away the awards in the presence of the OFA chief, Sheikh Salim al Wahaibi. Ittifaq's Sarah al Ismaili was adjudged player of the tournament, while Sheikha al Shibli was named best goalkeeper.

Liqaa al Hosni of Ahli-Sidab A was the top-scorer. Jabri said that following this competition, a group of 20 girls have been selected for the national futsal squad that will take part in a GCC championship, scheduled to be played in Bahrain in January-end.

“The probables will be shortlisted to 15 once the new coach resumes her work in the coming weeks,” said Jabri. Jabri said the grassroots programme for girls aged between six to eight years has evoked good response with the participation of 40 schools under the Laeebah programme.

“We plan to focus on this programme and take it across the country. We have received financial support from the FIFA for women's football and I believe that a good start has been made with the success of the first futsal league,” said Jabri.


Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com