MUSCAT: His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said directed to support Al Seeb football club, which will represent the Sultanate of Oman in the AFC Cup 2022 final and to operate a plane for Seeb fans to the Malaysian capital to attend the final match on Saturday (October 22).

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth said that His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth also directed to provide Seeb Club with financial aid and in cooperation with Oman Air to make provisions to fly fans to Kuala Lumpur to witness the final.

The Ministry noted that this gesture will encourage Omani sportspersons to achieve more even as it will motivate the athletes to keep the Omani flag high globally.

The AFC Cup is continent’s secondary club football tournament, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the winners will automatically qualify for the 2023-’24 AFC Champions League.

Bahraini club Al Muharraq are the holders and could not defend their title as they failed to obtain the AFC license.

The winners of the final – Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur City FC and Oman’s Al Seeb Club – will make history as they become kings of Asia.

Al Seeb aim to become Oman’s first-ever champions and KL City are looking to follow compatriots Johor Darul Ta’zim, who in 2015, lifted the trophy.

The Omani outfit made it to the final after thumping Bahraini club Al Riffa 4-0 in the semifinal watched by vociferous 12,000 fans at Seeb Sports Stadium. Their first final appearance will better old record of Al Nahda who reached the semifinals in 2008.

Moreover, Al Seeb will get the chance to be the first Omani team to win any AFC club competitions.

Al Seeb Club’s head coach Rasheed Jaber promised to make the best of the final chance. Jaber is the third manager of the season after Boris Bunjak of Serbia and Ilie Stan of Romani who left the team for different reasons.