Oman coach Paul Le Guen says his players must adopt a “never-say-die” approach to have any chance of upsetting the Socceroos in Tuesday night’s World Cup qualifier.
The 105th-ranked side and their recently-appointed French coach head into the match under heavy pressure as they sit bottom of the four-team qualification group.
A 3-0 loss to Thailand and scoreless draw with Saudi Arabia could force an adventurous approach at ANZ Stadium as the Omanis target three points to put their campaign back on track.
Le Guen is under no illusions about the task at hand having travelled to Canberra to watch Holger Osieck’s side demolish Malaysia 5-0 on Friday night.
“We should all know that Australians are a big power,” Le Guen told the Oman Observer.
“See how they dominated against the Malaysians in their friendly on Friday?
“This is why I travelled to Canberra just to have a close look at our opponents.”
The former Rangers, Paris Saint-Germain and Cameroon coach said the “huge difference” between the teams in Canberra had forced him to alter his approach.
“The Socceroos were much quicker and faster than the Malaysians,” he said.
“Seeing the Socceroos’ fighting spirit, I made two-three adjustments in our approach so that somehow the same spirit could be inculcated in our boys.
“I have asked them to follow the never-say-die-spirit and fight `til the end in this crucial match.”
While Socceroos captain Lucas Neill rated Oman’s biggest threat their pace and ability to strike on the counter, the gulf nation will also be banking on star goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi making life difficult for the Australian attack.
The 29-year-old is the nation’s highest-profile player and the only squad member to play outside the Middle East, with English Premier League side Wigan.
The gloveman has made a huge impression since switching from Bolton last season and was named Wigan’s player of the year in 2010/11.
He will rush back to England after the match to face his former team on Saturday.
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