Muscat: With only six points from as many matches, the national team now faces an uphill battle to secure a place in the next stage, sparking mixed reactions among fans and analysts.

TV presenter Khamis Al Balushi minced no words in his critique, calling the team’s performance “Very poor result for a team dreaming of the World Cup.” He pointed to inconsistency as a critical issue, declaring that with such performance no one can achieve success. Al Balushi thanked loyal fans and urged patience ahead of the team’s next qualifiers in March.

Sports critic Jabir Al Ajmi offered a nuanced perspective, defending head coach Rashid Jaber. “It is not fair to blame captain Rashid Jaber for the losses in a very short time since he took over the national team’s training,” he said, noting the coach’s limited opportunity to make impactful changes in just two months. However, Al Ajmi warned that persisting with the same squad could erode confidence further.

“When he announces the list of the national team participating in 26th edition of Gulf Cup, the real evaluation will be whether he is the man of the stage or not,” Al Ajmi remarked. He emphasized the need to explore new player options, adding, “Continuation on the same list means that we will not move forward and he will be the main reason.”

The match itself was a tense affair, with Oman pushing hard in the opening minutes but struggling to break through Iraq’s solid defense. Iraq’s swift counterattacks exposed weaknesses in Oman’s midfield, ultimately leading to a disappointing loss.

As Oman turns its focus to December’s Arabian Gulf Cup clash against Kuwait and March’s qualifier against Korea Republic, fans are left questioning whether the team can bounce back or if their World Cup ambitions will remain out of reach.