LONDON: Pim Verbeek revealed he is optimistic about the future of Oman football despite the side’s exit from the Asian Cup at the hands of Iran.
The Gulf Cup champions impressed in the group stage by making it through to the knockout stages — largely thanks to a 3-1 win over Turkmenistan that allowed them to sneak into the second round as one of the best-placed third-place teams.
But a 2-0 defeat to a very impressive Iran side ended any hopes Oman had of a fairytale run to the later stages in the UAE.
Verbeek, however, admitted they had been beaten by the better side and that despite the defeat the future remains bright for Oman.
“We knew that Iran were the number one side in Asia and that they were stronger than us, so we did everything that was possible to get a result,” the Dutch coach said.
“We gave at least one unlucky goal away and I am not talking about the penalty which we missed early on.
“In the second half, we tried everything to score a goal and come back from 2-0 down, but Iran kept us under control. We are disappointed of course that we lost, but Iran were the better team.
“We had a fantastic tournament and we should not be ashamed that we lost to a team such as Iran. The team has a future as, even though we are a small country, we have talent.”
Pim Verbeek says future is bright for Oman despite Iran defeat
Pim Verbeek says future is bright for Oman despite Iran defeat
PSG’s mental strength hailed as they come from behind to win at Monaco
- The first leg clash between the two Ligue 1 clubs saw Folarin Balogun score twice for the hosts in the opening 18 minutes before Vitinha had his penalty saved to compound matters
MONACO: Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique hailed the mental strength of his side in coming from two goals down to win 3-2 away at Monaco in the Champions League on Tuesday, but warned the knockout round tie was far from finished.
The first leg clash between the two Ligue 1 clubs saw Folarin Balogun score twice for the hosts in the opening 18 minutes before Vitinha had his penalty saved to compound matters.
But after Desire Doue came on for injured Ousmane Dembele, the match turned and defending champions PSG went on to secure a one-goal advantage for the return leg.
“Normally, when a team starts a match like that, the most likely outcome is a loss,” Luis Enrique said.
“It was catastrophic. It’s impossible to start a match like that. The first two times they overcame our pressure and entered our half, they scored. They made some very good plays.
“After that, it’s difficult to have confidence, but we showed our mental strength. Plus, we missed a penalty, so it was a chance to regain confidence. In the last six times we’ve played here, this is only the second time we’ve won, which shows how difficult it is.”
The 20-year-old Doue scored twice and provided a third for Achraf Hakimi, just days after he had turned in a poor performance against Stade Rennais last Friday and was dropped for the Monaco clash.
“I’m happy for him because this past week, everyone criticized and tore Doue apart, but he was sensational, he showed his character. He helped the team at the best possible time.”
Dembele’s injury would be assessed, the coach added. “He took a knock in the first 15 minutes, then he couldn’t run.”
The return leg at the Parc des Princes will be next Wednesday. “Considering how the match started, I’m happy with the result. But the match in Paris will be difficult, it will be a different story,” Luis Enrique warned.
