(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat's loss is Buraimi's gain. Football fans in Muscat will be left disappointed as the Oman Football Association (OFA) has decided to host the national team's upcoming friendly match against Uruguay a two-time World Cup winner and currently ranked sixth in world at the Buraimi Sports Complex in Buraimi on October 13.
Prior to the Uruguay game Oman's other friendly against 2014 World Cup quarterfinalist Costa Rica will also be held away from Muscat - at the Sohar Sports Complex in Sohar on October 10. Both matches will kick off at 6.30pm.
The back-to-back friendlies will serve as preparations for Oman coach Paul Le Guen as the Red Warriors gear up for the 22nd Gulf Cup in Riyadh Saudi Arabia to be played from November 13-26.
The OFA's decisions to host both the friendly games outside Muscat were taken at a recent board meeting held under the chairmanship of Sayyid Khalid al Busaidy the OFA chief.
Saleh al Farsi chief executive of the OFA told Muscat Daily on Monday 'Since the matches are likely to coincide with the Eid al Adha holidays we decided to move them to Sohar and Buraimi to attract local fans from those respective regions. Keeping that in mind the board agreed to host the matches outside Muscat.'
However a source in the OFA said the move was necessitated 'due to logistical reasons' as both the teams are scheduled to fly to Dubai UAE prior to their Oman trip. Costa Rica is scheduled to fly to Dubai make the Sohar trip on road and then fly out of Dubai. Uruguay will play a friendly against hosts Saudi Arabia at the King Fahd Stadium in Jeddah on October 10.
The team will then fly to Dubai and stay in the UAE city of Al Ain which shares the border with Buraimi. As for the Uruguay game the OFA is keen to hold its first international game at the newly-built Buraimi Sports Complex which will also now serve as the home ground for the defending Omantel Professional League (OPL) champion Al Nahda Club.
Al Nahda is scheduled to play its first game at its new home venue in the second round of the OPL when it hosts former champion Al Suwaiq on September 18.
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