(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Having tamed Cameroon in a thrilling semifinal on Thursday, Oman's Red Warriors are set for a summit showdown against hosts Azerbaijan in the football competition of the fourth Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku on Sunday. The final at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium will kick off at 9pm.
The Indomitable Lions, among the title favourites in the eight-team competition, were shown the door in the semifinals by a gritty Oman team that prevailed 4-3 in a penalty shootout after both teams failed to break the stalemate after extra-time.
The victory over Cameroon has bolstered the Omani players, and national team coach Hamad al Azzani hoped that the players would rise to the occasion and clinch the title on Sunday.
Azerbaijan made it to the final with a 2-0 win over Algeria in the other semifinal on Thursday.
In the penalty shootout against Cameroon, Mohsin al Ghassani, Ahmed al Matrooshi, Juma al Mamari and Juma al Habsi found the net, while Ahmed al Kaabi hit the post and Salah al Yahyai missed the opening shot.
Oman goalkeeper Bilal al Balushi made a brilliant save, while two Cameroon players missed their spot kicks.
Irrespective of the finish in the final on Sunday, Oman is assured of another medal at the Games, where so far the sultanate teams have picked up a total of six medals, including two silver.
Oman's bronze medal-winning 4x400m relay team in Baku on Saturday
Bronze for relay team On Saturday, the 4x400m quartet of Salad al Ajmi, Mohammed al Saadi, Usama al Ghailani and Ahmed al Saadi claimed a bronze to add to Oman's medal tally. It was the second bronze in athletics, after Barakat al Harthi picked up the bronze in the 100m race.
The Oman team clocked 3m08.94s. Turkey won the gold with a time of 3m06.83s, while Pakistan took the silver in 3m07.62s. Earlier, the 4x100m relay quartet finished fifth with a time of 40.37s. Bahrain took the gold in a time of 39.55s.
On Friday, Ahmad al Saadi finished fourth in 400m with a time of 46.58s. Bahrain's Khamis Ali took the gold in 45.54s.
Fatma in semis
Oman's only other medal hope at the Games now rests on the defending women's tennis champion, Fatma al Nabhani. The Omani star stormed into the semifinals on Friday and takes on Turkey's Ayla Aksu on Sunday for a place in the final.
Fatma beat Turkmenistan's Anastasiya Prenko 6-3, 6-0 in the first round and then got past Malaysian Theiviya Selva Rajoo 6-2, 7-6 in the quarterfinals.
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