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MUSCAT — Oman’s Argentine coach Gabriel Calderon has promised an Eid gift for the Sultanate’s football fans with a big victory over Nepal in the preliminary qualifiers for the World Cup 2010 at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex tonight.

“This is my first match on home soil since I have taken over and I would like to begin with a win,” said a confident Calderon. “And that will be my Eid gift for the nation.”

Calderon was speaking on the eve of the match against south Asian minnows Nepal.

However, he pleaded ignorance of Nepal football, though he tried his best in vain to obtain some videos of his rivals.

“In modern day football no team can be taken lightly and I have warned my players to be cautious against complacency,” he said.

For Calderon it is a big match as this will be the first time he will be guiding the national side in an international on home soil. He indeed tried out his reserve strength in the friendly match against Maldives the other day but he doesn’t count that as the big one on home soil.

History might back Oman as much superior against Nepal but Calderon sounded a warning that they were playing against an unknown entity.

“Nepal is alien to us and we do not know how good they play or what style they adopt. We have to take it from scratch,” said Calderon. “But we are going into the match hoping that they would play similar to Maldives.”

Oman’s second stringers had beaten Maldives by a solitary goal.

“This is a very important match and we will have to win,” said Calderon adding that his team, though missing injured striker Badr Al Maimani, will go all out on the offensive.

“We will go in with an aim of scoring in the very first minute,” said Calderon, who, however, did not want to set a target on the margin of victory. “I do not want to spell out numbers, which means showing disrespect to the opposite side,” he explained.

“We will play for a good result,” he added.

On his probable line-up tonight, Calderon said he will play the best possible as all the professionals (except Badr) are available for the match. “I will blood two new players in the first 11 (names withheld),” he added.

Goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi is expected to reach early today and he is certain to play tonight. This was confirmed by the coach.

On his style of play, Calderon said there was no specific strategy and it all depended on the circumstances on the pitch. “Most probably it will be with three strikers in the front,” he hinted.

Calderon confirmed that his main focus was to enhance the fitness levels of the players as physical strength played a vital role in modern day soccer.

“Against Nepal, I have told my boys to be calm and not to get carried away even if goals come easily,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nepal coach Shyam Thapa was not available for his comments but appeared to be plotting a strategy to handle the much stronger hosts.

Most probably Nepal are going to deviate from their normal game and play a more defensive 4-2-3-1 formation. Nepal could be more happy if they managed to salvage a draw as they are to host Oman on October 28.

This match may prove to be the last for coach Shyam Thapa as German coach Thomas Flath is expected to take over on October 14.

Thapa, according to certain reports, is interested in handing over the job as early as possible because of his preference to the youth teams and also because he himself thinks Nepal need a good European coach to improve on the psychological front.

Bonanza for fans: The Oman Football Association has meanwhile announced a bonanza for football fans expecting them to turn up in large numbers.

Through a raffle draw, OFA are offering attractive prizes, including 10 air tickets to 10 destinations. The air tickets are for destinations like Bangkok, Mumbai, Cairo, Bahrain, etc.,…

The other lucky 10 will get a chance to open an account in Bank Sohar with a minimum balance of RO100.

Ten more will get Shell cards, each worth RO100 of petrol.

From socceragenepal.com.np

Socceragenepal.com.np will be doing the live update coverage of much-awaited Nepal Vs Oman clash of 2010 WC qualifying preliminary round to be held at Sultan Stadium, Mascot, Oman, tonight.

The match starts at 11:15 NST, which is 1:45 hour earlier to that of Oman. The visitors could well indulge in the minute-to-minute description of the match and comments from SoccerAge control room on the important moments.

Socceragenepal.com.np believes the match won't just be the fight between the giants and minnows. As stated in the report of Omani daily 'Times of Oman', coach Gabriel Calderon has warned his players not to underestimate Nepal supposed minnows the in world football .

Team Nepal have also promised a brave fight for a respected result. No matter whatsoever the level is and the background they have come through, it is football and they have promised an honest fight in the name of nation.

That is why do not miss to be with socceragenepal.com.np during the mesmerizing 90 minutes starting on from 11:15 NST.

Just a couple of hours away, Team Nepal will be playing Oman, everybody knows, making an unalike fight between the minnows and giants. But this is football and anything can happen.

Oman, taking on Nepal on home-soil in the first clash of the preliminary qualifiers for the World Cup 2010, definitely enjoy a superior history against the latter. The main concern for Oman's Argentine coach Gabriel Calderon is that he is playing his first home game for the side since he took over against a team quite unknown about. So he is warning his players not to adopt complacency and also not to be carried away even if goals come easily.

Here is the bold team Nepal, prepared as to erupt out of nowhere as a shock to the giants. Nepal have indeed not to feel that they are going to play for a loss. Oman have a strong team with the international professionals, one of them even belonging to the premiership side, Ali Al Habsi (Bolton Wanderers) who came this morning to join the side. Nepal are not a big name in terms of international successes but their football capacity granted by nature is certainly above the mark.

Gabriel has announced to give the Eid gift to Oman in the form of goals against Nepal. But he would not have said actually that much had he sensed the fighting spirit Nepali players now have. The selection of the team by brainy coach Shyam Thapa has just the way to stop the physically superior players from implementing their skills and flair. If Nepal could really stop in the early minutes, Oman could definitely have to be ready for a draw. Once Nepal catch up a brave spell, they do not lose it. This is the real style Shyam Thapa's U-19 side produced prodigy against Vietnam, 1-0, in the U-19 Asia Cup Qualifiers in Malaysia three years ago.

Gabriel anticipated Nepal as in the level of Maldives whom his reserve team defeated 1-0 in a practice match yesterday. But Nepal lucky with their efforts could do much better than Maldives though the difference between the two countries, especially after Nepal could not retain international participation, has widened.

"It is just a single fight we have to sacrifice for'" head coach Thapa was saying before leaving Nepal." We will play with full fighting spirit making sure we are always safe. So we all can expect a respected result."

Thanks to Gabriel still remaining ignorant about Nepal and his failure in find the video footages of Nepali football, Nepal salvaging a draw or giving a brave fight or, who can bet not, even record a win like Senegal did against France or Greece did In Euro 2004 could make a headline in 'Time of Oman' Tomorrow that may read- Gabriel, Where Is Your Gift?

Team Nepal just have to keep in mind that Oman are a great challenge but not in the way football is totally biased for them. They have to frustrate the opponent strikers and should focus on not losing the ball within as well as nerves while chasing the ball without. They have to better in counter chances. They should keep in mind that the superior Asian football is still not much mature in scoring. That is why making it a difficult task for Omani to find the net could be the key to the new history.

Let's hope that we will see a different Nepali football at Sultan Stadium, the post guarded by President's Cup hero Ritesh Thapa, midfield covered by power players Tashi Chirring and Lok Bandhu, wings waved by skill kings Nirajan and Pradeep and the defence fortified by the strongest and dauntless players of the nation, Rakesh, Sagar, Anjan and Sanjeev.

Jay Pashupatinath!!!

Sundar Khanal, Kathmandu

नेपाल ओमानसँग भिड्ने

हिमेशरत्न वज्राचार्य

Nepal faces Oman today

POST REPORT

Posted on: 2007-10-07 20:30:52 (Server Time)

good news guys

its halftime and we're just 2-0

but what is humiliating is that the tv channel that shows the match live doesnot know how to spell "NEPAL"

OMAN 2 -NIPAL 0

AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT THATS THE FINAL SCORE