Oman striker Muhsen Al-Ghassani has backed former Real Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz to lead the Gulf state to their first-ever World Cup as the country prepares for the next phase of Asia's preliminaries for the 2026 finals.

The Omanis take on Qatar in Group A of the fourth round of the continent's qualifiers in Doha on Wednesday before facing off against the United Arab Emirates three days later in the battle for one of Asia's two remaining World Cup slots.

The group winners will join Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran, Uzbekistan and Jordan in securing a ticket for the finals at the first 48-team finals and Al-Ghassani has backed the wily Queiroz to make a difference.

"He's a big coach, he has experience," Al-Ghassani said of Queiroz, who is attempting to book his fifth World Cup appe

See Full Page