Tickets for Costa Rica, Uruguay matches against Oman go on sale

Barcelona's Luis Suarez smiles to the crowd during a friendly football match against Indonesia U19 near Barcelona September 24, 2014.

Muscat: The tickets for Oman's much-awaited matches with Costa Rica and Uruguay have gone on sale with the Oman Football Association (OFA) looking to capitalise from the two friendly games to be played in Sohar and Buraimi next month.

Speaking to Times Sport soon after the tickets were put on sale yesterday, Alister D'Silva, head of MARKETING, brand and events at OFA said the demand has risen ever since the games were announced.

"In the last few weeks we have received numerous calls from fans asking if their favourite stars would turn up for the match. This is just a friendly game so many think their favourites will not show up. However, with a few big names already being announced in those provisional team lists the demand has gone-up," informed Alister.

With controversial Barcelona forward Luis Suarez regaining his place in the provisional Uruguay squad, the OFA is now leaving no stone unturned to promote the match to be played in Buraimi on October 13.

Though Oman first plays Costa Rica in Sohar on October 10, the focus has been on the key clash against Uruguay due to the inclusion of Suarez. The former Liverpool superstar is serving a four-month ban from international football body FIFA, which includes nine competitive internationals, for the infamous World Cup incident where he bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini.

However, he has been allowed to play in the friendlies after the Court of Arbitration for Sport removed a clause by FIFA which banned him from "any football activity" during that span of four months.

"The availability of international stars is always a bonus for us," said Alister. "However, the stature of these two teams itself is big enough as they fared well in the recently concluded Fifa World Cup with Uruguay ranking sixth and Costa Rica ranking 15th. We will soon release the final list of players on our social media platforms to ensure that our fans are in for a big treat," he noted.

The tickets for these matches are priced at OMR3 (General entry) and OMR20 for VIPs. Tickets are now available at all Oman Oil-Ahlain shops and Khimji Marts in Al Batinah region and a few outlets in the capital. OFA is also taking bulk purchases from corporate companies. Interestingly, the OFA has allowed free entry of children below 12 for two games.

"If STOCKS last, we will also be selling tickets on the match day but we urge fans to buy tickets in advance to avoid last-minute disappointment," he said.

Full-house stadiums
When he was asked if the OFA could attract fans by hosting the two games away from the capital city, Alister said, "We know that football is the number one sport in the country.

International football matches should be played across the country and not in a particular area. This has been our strategy and we have been trying to do this for a while now."

According to Alister, the Omantel Professional League (OPL) matches played in Sohar and Salalah recorded the highest number of attendances last year.

"There is no question of these stadiums going empty. They were always packed even when a domestic game was hosted. So, I am sure these two games will be played in front of a full house," he said.

On October 13, the Buraimi Sports Complex will enter the history books when the 16,000-capacity stadium hosts its first international game.

"The stadium is new and has been built purely for football. There are ample parking facilities and ticketing counters. It has just hosted a few OPL games. We are also expecting a large number of fans from Al Ain to attend this game due to the close proximity of both cities,"
he added.