Chuzhou: The match, held in the Chinese city of Chuzhou as part of the second group competitions, saw Oman put up a spirited performance against one of the strongest sides in the group.

Despite the final score, the Youth Reds remained competitive for most of the match, showing strong tactical discipline, determination and fighting spirit until the closing minutes.

The Omani side delivered a solid technical display against the tournament hosts, matching China’s pace in several phases of the game and creating encouraging moments that reflected the team’s growing readiness.

Although the result did not go in Oman’s favour, the coaching staff will take several positives from the performance, particularly the players’ ability to compete with a top team in the group.

Oman will now turn its focus to the much-anticipated Gulf encounter against Bahrain, a decisive fixture in their campaign. A victory would revive the team’s chances of reaching the next round and keep them in contention for one of the qualification spots.

The coaching staff is expected to build on the positives from the China match while working on areas such as finishing attacks and making better use of scoring opportunities.

The players are aware that their chances in the tournament are still alive, giving them extra motivation to enter the Bahrain match with determination and perseverance as they look to move closer to the second round and continue their push for a place in the World Championship.