(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Oman begins its campaign in the 17th Asian Games on Sunday when its football team meets Palestine in a Group C match in Incheon South Korea.
The other two teams in the group are Singapore and Tajikistan. The 29-team football competition will get the Asian Games off to an unofficial start with eight games on the opening day five days before the opening ceremony.
Coached by Hamad al Azzani Oman hopes to make it to the knockout stages from a relatively easy group as the top two teams from each of the eight groups will progress.
Defending champion Japan is the favourite along with hosts South Korea as they are the frontrunners for making it to the October 2 final. The U23 event will also provide an opportunity for players to vie for the senior team as Oman prepares for the Gulf Cup in November and the Asian Cup in January.
At the football event in the Asian Games each squad can field up to three players who are over 25 years of age while the rest have to be U23s.
Sunday's eight matches constitute the first competition of the Asian Games which covers 36 disciplines and offers 439 gold medals.. Japan kick off its campaign against Kuwait while three-time winners South Korea take on Malaysia in their opening match on Sunday.
Iran whose four titles remains an Asian Games record is expected to be Japan and South Korea's closest challengers.
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