A young side by Asian Cup standards
Oman are a relatively young Asian Cup side. Their first appearance came in 2004 and this is only a sixth, which is fewer than several teams they now expect to compete with. The high point is the round of 16 in 2019, and it is the only knockout tie in their history.
They come through as second-round group winners, which is the strongest qualification route available, and then drew two of the eight former champions in the field: the hosts and Kuwait, who won it in 1980. For a team whose ceiling has been one knockout tie, the game against Palestine is the one that decides their tournament.
How Oman qualified
Oman came through as second round Group D winners, confirmed on 6 June 2024.