OFA Chairman Sayyid Khalid Al Busaidi said the local football body has plans to host Al Habsi in Muscat. “We will have a special reception for him, for sure, when he comes down to Muscat

However, the exact date of the reception has not been confirmed, due to Habsi’s busy engagements in London. The reception is expected to take place soon after Habsi returns to Muscat.

Wigan now has to make sure they don’t become the first team to win the FA Cup and be relegated in the same season. Currently, in the third relegation spot and three points away from safety, they will play against Arsenal on Tuesday and Aston Villa on May 19.

Even though Al Habsi was not featured in the FA Cup final, despite his brilliant performance during the semifinal, he became the first Arab to claim the prestigious title.
“I am very proud of Al Habsi’s achievement. For him to reach these heights was not easy. The journey was tough, but he worked hard, and he has made all of us proud today,” remarked Sayyid Khalid.

After three years of being Wigan’s first choice for goalkeeper and playing more than 100 Premier League games, Al Habsi was eased out this season by young Spaniard Joel Robles.
However, Sayyid Khalid branded Al Habsi as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League. “Al Habsi was left out because he was suffering from a shoulder injury, so the Wigan team management didn’t want to take a chance.

“He played in the crucial semi-final game and put on a brilliant show. So, he is still the best. That day (for the Saturday final) was not his day. It was quite unfortunate, but that’s what football is all about. You need to take it in stride as it comes. Al Habsi still has a long way to go, and I am sure he will continue to bring us glory,” Sayyid Khalid added.

We @oneoman.com would like to add that, this has been a tremendous achievement by Habsi. We know the player and his capabilities, we strongly believe the best is yet to come and the entire Oman’s support is with Habsi.

A great player, a great champion we give you Ali Al Habsi – International Player, Oman’s National Team Captain and Oman News Maker of the Year 2012.

Source: OFA

The 38-year-old former England captain, who this month helped Paris St Germain to the French league title to add to titles won in England, Spain and the United States, will hang up his boots at the end of this season.

“I’m thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level,” the midfielder said in a statement.

“I want to thank all my team mates, the great managers that I had the pleasure of learning from. I also want to thank the fans who have all supported me and given me the strength to succeed.”

Beckham earned 115 caps for England, a record for an outfield player, and won the Champions League, six Premier League titles and two FA Cups with Manchester United.

He also won league titles with Real Madrid in Spain, LA Galaxy in the United States and PSG in France.

The London-born Beckham started his career at Manchester United, the club he supported as a boy, making his first team appearance at the age of 17 in 1992.

His trade-mark free kicks and pin-point crosses established him as a key player, while his good looks made him a pin-up for teenage girls and later his marriage to former Spice Girls band member Victoria Adams established him as an off-field celebrity.

While his commercial appeal kept growing and his friendships with Hollywood A listers grew, his main passion of soccer – and in particular England – held firm.

“To this day, one of my proudest achievements is captaining my country,” Beckham said.

“I knew every time I wore the Three Lions shirt, I was not only following in a long line of great players, I was also representing every fan that cared passionately about their country. I’m honoured to represent England both on and off the pitch.

DREAMS REALISED

“If you had told me as a young boy I would have played for and won trophies with my boyhood club Manchester United, proudly captained and played for my country over 100 times and lined up for some of the biggest clubs in the world, I would have told you it was a fantasy. I’m fortunate to have realised those dreams,” said Beckham.

After a decade at Old Trafford, where he won six Premier League titles, he left for a four-year spell at Real Madrid where he won La Liga in his final season.

He then crossed the Atlantic in 2007 to become the biggest name soccer import in the United States, joining LA Galaxy with a mission to raise the profile of the sport in the country.

He won the MLS championship twice with the Galaxy before moving to Paris in January for what turned out to be his last hurrah.

There he demonstrated one of his other sides as his salary was paid to a children’s charity in the French capital.

Away from soccer, underwear modelling and ambassadorial roles, Beckham is known as a family man and thanked those closest to him for what they had done for him.

“I wouldn’t have achieved what I have done today without my family,” he said.

“I’m grateful for my parents’ sacrifice, which made me realise my dreams. I owe everything to Victoria and the kids, who have given me the inspiration and support to play at the highest level for such a long period.”

The first paper addressed the national initiative for the PC and presented by Ibrahim bin Talib al-Wardi, Head of Infrastructure Operations Division at Information Technology Authority (ITA) in which he said that the initiative contributes to eradicating digital literacy and increase the number of users of computers among members of the Omani society as more than 80,000 computers have been distributed so far, in addition to seeking to increase the number of users of the Internet and encouraging citizens to communicate with the outside world, access knowledge and training of the beneficiaries of the initiative.

Maj. Khalifa bin Ali al-Zaidi from Royal Oman Police presented a working paper on the use of information and communication technology in reducing traffic accidents, while AbdulAmir bin Sabah al-Lawati, Head of Systems Department at the State’s Financial and Administrative Audit Institution (SFAAI) presented a paper on e-complaints window applied by SFAAI since 2011, explaining in his presentation the terms of reference and role of SFAAI.

The paralleling exhibition was opened, where the Sultanate is participating by showcasing its e- initiatives to reduce road accidents and the role of information and communications technology in reducing the gap and raising awareness to the importance of commitment to traffic safety laws in the Sultanate.

Ministry of Health’s project which won the award of the Information Society Summit 2013 will be displayed to highlight the benefits provided by the project as the platform of the Sultanate at the Exhibition which is a centre of awareness for all the activities at which the Sultanate is involved during the conference as conducting of workshops, meetings and symposia.

MUSCAT — Oman overcame Bahrain for a 2-1 win in a crucial Asian Beach Handball Championship in Hong Kong yesterday.
According to information received here, the 15-14, 16-18, 9-3 result helped the Sultanate book their berth in the 2014 World Beach Handball Championships in Morocco.
The Omanis, who are being coached by Hamoud al Hassani, won their fourth consecutive match and hope to seal the Asian title when they take on fellow qualifiers Qatar in the final match of the six-team event on Thursday.
Earlier in the tournament Oman defeated Vietnam, Thailand and hosts Hong Kong.
The beach handball team is only the second Omani team, after beach football team, to qualify for a world championship and credit should be given to the officials of Oman Handball Association as well as the Ministry of Sports Affairs and the Oman Olympic Committee for their support to the team.
Yesterday’s match was a see-saw affair with the Sultanate edging Bahrain in the first session. But the Bahrainis fought back in the second to take the lead early. Though Oman equalised at 16-16, Bahrain took the second session at 18-16.
In the ensuing shoot-out, Hani al Dughaishi (2), Said al Hassani, Ahmed al Hinai and Salah al Dughaishi converted all five attempts while Omani goalkeeper Hussain al Jabri made two crucial saves to help the team win 9-3.
Meanwhile, Qatar booked their berth with a 17-10, 24-14 win over Hong Kong.
While expressing his delight at the qualifying feat, Oman delegation chief Jabir Yaqoub said the team consider their victory as a symbolic gift to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos in gratitude to his great support to Omani sports.

Source: Oman Daily Observer

Speaking to Oman local media, Dr Jeffrey said it is commonly agreed by archaeologists that originally the human expansion began from Africa, perhaps from Ethiopia or Kenya. But until recently experts believed that early human species moved from Africa to Australia. According to this study, in the journey of human expansion, the first modern humans followed the rivers into Arabia 125,000 years ago, more specifically Wadi Aybut in Dhofar, in response to improved environmental conditions.

For years, Dr Jeffrey and his seven-member team were exploring as to what was the role of Arabia in the human expansion and subsequent behavioural revolution? When and why did man first leave Africa? “At long last, after a decade of searching, we found a site in Wadi Aybut with stone tools that represent the footprints of the human expansion,” said Dr Jeffrey. Archaeological researches establish that human race has the same origin.

There is more genetic variability among 55 chimpanzees than the entire human species. “While we may be numerous, we are also homogenous,” remarked. Human genetic diversity decreases in proportion to the geographic distance from Africa. According to human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), the human family tree is comprised of 3 main ‘branches’: haplogroups M, N, and R. These branches stem from an ancestral ‘trunk’ of the tree called haplogroup L3.

Genetic evidence indicates humans branched from the L3 trunk sometime after 70,000 years ago. “We have yet to determine from where this fluorescence emanated”, said Dr Jeffrey (picture above). All modern humans are derived from an ancestral lineage rooted in Africa bearing mtDNA haplogroup L3. The first divergence from the ancestral “trunk” is mtDNA haplogroup M, found among populations in east Africa, north Africa and south Asia.

Followed shortly thereafter by a divergence of mtDNA haplogroup N, a predominantly European and western Asian branch. The earliest anatomically modern human fossils have been unearthed in east Africa around 190,000 years ago. The earliest art object has been found in South Africa dated to 77,000 BP; this discovery heralds the onset of the human behavioural revolution. This is accompanied by a suite of innovations such as bone tools, harpoons, and perforated shell beads.

By 60,000 years ago, the first human beings successfully navigated the waters of the Pacific to reach Australia and New Guinea. Two human burials were discovered at Lake Mungo in Australia, signalling more complex human behaviour. Modern humans did not expand into Europe until about 40,000–30,000 years ago. By 30,000 years ago, intricate and well-made art objects begin to show up at archaeological sites in Europe.

“We were no longer simple grassland hunters, but had developed new subsistence strategies including fishing, plant processing, primitive seafaring, along with art and some form of religious practice,” said Dr Jeffrey. What was the role of Arabia in the human expansion and subsequent behavioural revolution? When and why did we first leave Africa? His research shows that climate change would have played a critical role in determining the nature of the human expansion.

Were they “pushed” due to deteriorating conditions in Africa, or pulled due to ameliorating conditions in Arabia? Arabia is dominated almost exclusively by two weather regimes: Westerlies and the Indian Ocean Monsoon System. In order to reconstruct ancient climatic conditions, Dr Jeffrey compiled a database of environmental proxy signals from 350,000 years ago to present. A sum probability curve of cumulative proxy signals shows three wet-phases around 125,000 BP, 50,000 BP, and 10,000 kya BP.

If there was a large population expansion from east Africa into Arabia, “we can test this hypothesis by looking at archaeological evidence along the routes of dispersal, particularly the coastal migration model. “We began the season excavating a massive cave in the verdant Wadi Darbat situated on the coastal plain, above a waterfall and perennial river system. But thre were no artefacts. “For the entire month of February, we recorded null site after null site along the coastal plain and in the mountains of Dhofar.

“We were a bit more successful locating prehistoric sites on the Nejd Plateau”. High density stone tool scatters spread across large areas attest to the extent of prehistoric human occupation in Oman. In some cases, these stone tool scatters stretch across tens of kms, as far as the eye can see on March 22, with one week left to go in the season, Dr Jeffrey and his team decided to check an unexplored area in Wadi Aybut, near the village of Mudayy.

At long last, after a decade of searching, they found a site in Wadi Aybut with stone tools that represent the footprint of the human expansion. The artefacts demonstrate a specific method of making stone tools first discovered in Africa in the 1960’s called “Nubian Complex.” Over 130 Nubian cores were collected from a relatively small area encompassing approximately 400 square metres. Dates of the Nubian Complex range between 125,000 and 75,000 years ago.

At this time, early humans adapted to the Saharo-Arabian phytogeographic zone expanded their range in response to the improved climatic conditions. The conclusion is that the first modern humans followed the rivers into Arabia 125,000 years ago in response to improved environmental conditions. The process of aridification and lower sea levels leaves some hunter-gatherer groups stranded in environmental refugia around Arabia during subsequent environmental downturns.

His Majesty, the Sultan has directed for a Royal Grant bestowing one free PC targeting specific segments in society in order to make the PCs ownership affordable by subsidizing their costs. The government represented by ITA executed this task through approved retailing outlets targeting the specific segments in order to bridge the digital divide and enhance the local capabilities and increase the PC and internet penetration rate as part of its e.Oman strategy.

The National PC initiative aims to address two main issues in ITA’s strategy, namely, capacity building and PC penetration. The program intends to build capacity in the general population by creating a PC bundle offer that is affordable, provides value and includes a basic training module. The latter is designed to get the citizen off to a ‘fast start’ in his ability to use the core system and the Internet and in doing so increase the PC penetration rate.

The initiative consists of allocating one free PC for each beneficiary family of the Social Welfare Beneficiaries (SWB) scheme that has at least one child or more registered in the K-12 school system, as well as granting one free PC per student in these families who are presently enrolled in higher education institutions. The grant also includes a subsidy on the cost of a PC for students in the first year of study in any higher education institution in the Sultanate. In addition to Ministry of Education teachers who are graduates of the Government IT Training and Certification programme (GITTC) which is a digital literacy programme run by ITA and targets civil servants.

To date (Feb 2013), a total of 84,368 PCs were distributed, among which 16,955 PC bundles (laptops) were distributed to the beneficiaries of the SWB in a number of the Sultanate’s wilayats (villages) as part of the Royal Grant bestowed by HM Sultan Qaboos. This grant will enable the different categories and segments of the society to use computers and internet and to promote their participation in the building of Oman’s Digital Society.

In line with the PC Initiative, Omantel (a telecom operator) also offered free-of-charge internet services to the recipients of the Royal Grant. It will also provide them with free modems and exempt them from the internet connection fees and monthly charges estimated at 12 OMR (30.96 USD). This is in addition to granting a monthly 1 GB free download service for families and students belonging to the SWB category for a period of one year. Higher education students and teachers will also benefit from the Royal Grant will by receiving the same for a period of three months.

Through the PC Initiative, every stratum of society in Oman will have access to a computer and the internet, enabling them to be able to interact, transact and communicate effectively in a digital society.

With the success of the national PC initiative, the PC penetration rate increased to (> 66 % in 2012) versus (< 20% in 2003). Also, national statistics show that the internet penetration had increased to more than 70%. As a result, the Network Readiness Index (NRI) sub-index Global IT Report 2011 individual readiness sub index jumped 47 points from 87 to 40. In addition, more civil service employees participated in the GITTC Programme (>57K) in 2012 vs. (18K) in 2010. This indicates better response to the programme as now certified trainees afford to purchase their own PC which is bundled with software and internet connectivity.

Saving Lives: Using ICT to Serve Government – NGOs Partnership for Road Safety (Royal Oman Police and NGOs – Safety First Company)

Road accidents in Oman, at an alarming rate, have become a matter of serious concern to families and to the community at large. A joint solution envisioned by all sectors and individuals has been going on for the past years. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s directives for collective effort of the government, private sector, and individuals to enhance the Omani society and develop its capabilities and knowledge in order to achieve social safety. The Royal Oman Police (ROP) is the concern government body, represented by the Directorate General of Traffic, which is in charge of road traffic and provide direct services to the public in Oman. Among other duties it organizes road traffic, applies traffic rules, regulations and laws, carries out safety awareness campaigns, activates speed monitoring devices (radars) and conducts traffic researches. The ROP also work closely with United Nations organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF on road safety issues. In addition, a National Committee for Road Safety (NCRS) was founded and headed by ROP aiming at developing a unified comprehensive strategy to reduce traffic accidents and their effects by finding solutions to all traffic problems within the general development in the Sultanate.

In all its efforts, ROP cooperates with stakeholders from government entities, citizens and residents and non-government organizations such as the Oman Road Safety Association (ORSA) and Safety First Company.

ORSA key activities include advocacy and awareness training, capacity building and supporting research in the field of road safety. The association aims to develop community based prevention programmes such as organizing walks and one-to-one awareness campaigns in different locations targeting the general public as well as carrying out sustainable projects and surveys on road safety in partnership with other stakeholders.

Safety First is an independent, not for profit, road safety organization. Safety First exists to reduce the number of road accidents and fatalities in Oman by 50%, by the year 2020, aiming at contributing to the future prosperity of Oman, making roads a safer place for all road users. It was formed by the former world rally champion Hamed al Wahaibi and the international professional footballer and Oman team captain Ali Al Habsi. Safety First works with the Government, Police and society, creating and running awareness-raising campaigns, community education programmes, events and providing road safety consultancy to private companies, in order to develop and implement long term awareness campaigns that will put an end to dangerous road behavior by informing, engaging and empowering people to make safer decisions when using the roads. This will support reducing the number of accidents and fatalities on Oman’s roads. Safety First focus its activities on using ICT mainly the online social media tools such as facebook, twitter, youtube and mobile technology.

Panellists:

Dr. Salim Sultan Al-Ruzaiqi, Chief Executive Officer, Information Technology Authority (ITA), Sultanate of Oman
Mr. Hassan Fida Al-Lawati, Team Leader – Projects, Digital Society Development Division, Information Technology Authority (ITA), Sultanate of Oman
Major. Khalifa Ali Al Zidi, Traffic Systems Supervisor, DGIT, Royal Oman Police (ROP), Sultanate of Oman

The Mirror says Al Habsi is on the radar of the deposed champions, whose current no.2 Costel Pantilimon is set to quit the club.

Pantilimon wants to leave the Etihad after two seasons in search of first-team football.

And Al Habsi is being considered as a signing who can give England keeper Joe Hart more competition, with relegation favourites Wigan believed to be resigned to losing him if they do go down.

The 31-year-old has earned himself a good reputation with a string of outstanding performances during his time in English football, both with Bolton and the Latics.

The Oman international has spent the last few Premier League games on the bench behind on-loan Spaniard Joel Robles, but is set to return to the Wigan starting line-up at Wembley after impressing in their semi-final win over Millwall.

Al Habsi said of the clash with City: “I don’t think there is a big, big pressure, because I am used to it now.

“At first, yes, there was pressure because you have to prove yourself, you have to work hard. But now I have made my name and I have played more than 110 games in the Premier League.

“It’s been a brilliant period for me here in England, but believe me I have more. I have maybe nine more years in my football life and I have to be fit, I have to be focused for the future.

“Hopefully if I play the final and we win it’s going to be one of the biggest things I have done in my professional career in Europe.”

As the local football club, which until 1978 plied their trade in the Northern Premier League, prepare for their first FA Cup final, never mind the combined forces of finance, logic and Manchester City piled up against them, the suggestion is that with the Latics you never know: keep believing and all will be fine.

According to the club’s long-serving goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi, it is a philosophy which runs through Wigan Athletic, a spirit born of finding themselves almost inevitably in a position of jeopardy in the Premier League at this time of the year.

“We are used to this situation, for the last three seasons,” he says. “It is not easy. But if you believe, you can go through all these things and get stronger. For us now every game is a cup final. I think we can finish the season in a brilliant way.”

For Al Habsi, there is more than simply a collective need to retain an upbeat demeanour. After three years of being Wigan’s first-choice keeper, playing more than a century of Premier League games, he has found himself this season eased out by the young Spanish player Joel Robles. Yet he remains apparently fully dedicated to the cause, full of bounce and enthusiasm. Take his reaction to the latest defeat, against Swansea, one he observed from the bench.


“It was very disappointing. We played a great game, had a lot of chances. It was so disappointing. But the good thing about this time of the season, you don’t have long to think about games. The next one is there so quick.”

For Wigan the next one is the biggest in the club’s history. And for Al Habsi himself, it offers the chance of rehabilitation. He has played in every round of the FA Cup, was recalled for the semi-final against Millwall last month and is cheerfully hopeful that he will be stepping out at Wembley this afternoon. If he does he will be making history himself: the Omani will be the first player from the Middle East to play in an FA Cup final. The very thought has been making national news back home.

“I feel that honour,” he says. “Everywhere in Oman people are speaking about the Cup final. Not just in Oman, actually, but across the Middle East. Everyone wants Wigan to win now. Except maybe in Abu Dhabi.”

Half the country appears to be coming to watch the only Omani to play professional sport in Europe reach the pinnacle of his career. “All my family is coming from Oman, my mum, my brother, my friends. The president of the Oman Football Association, the Minister of Sport, they are coming too. It is the first time, a big time.”

Although he watched the final on television throughout his childhood, Al Habsi never dreamed that he would one day be playing in it. Indeed, it was not until he had an unexpected encounter with a legendary English keeper that he even thought he had the potential to become a professional. At the time he was working as a fireman and had just been picked for the Omani under-18s.

“He was waiting for me outside and I didn’t know who he was. And he came to me and he said: ‘I’m John Burridge, I’m the national manager and from tomorrow I want you to come and train with me’. When I went for the first session, he said: ‘Listen to me, focus, train hard and you’ll play in the Premier League one day’. I thought he was joking. Players from Oman just didn’t make it to the Premier League. We watched the game on TV and it was like another planet. To be honest, I laughed at him. He said: ‘No, I’m serious about that’.”

Burridge may be largely recalled in this country as an eccentric who went to bed clutching a football, but he could certainly spot talent. Under his tutelage, Al Hasbi soon became an international and was invited for a trial at Manchester City, who wanted to sign him but were prevented by visa restrictions. Instead, the tall, angular, athletic keeper went to Norway, spent three years there before finding his way to Bolton.

“The most difficult three years for me to adapt was in Norway. It was so cold. I had to get used to conditions. I had never played in the rain, never had a slippery ball. It was very difficult. When I came to England it was a lot warmer.”

His later move from Bolton to Wigan required another, more subtle adjustment. “I had to change the way I played. Big Sam [Allardyce] he wants me to kick it a long way. At Wigan, the manager wants me to roll it out short, or to pass it to the full-back. It means every day I have to practise passing, ball control.”

Such practice made him one of the most consistent keepers in the Premier League. Or it did until he found himself recently watching from the bench. Not that demotion has diluted his positivism.

“We are a squad, especially at this time you have to be together, you cannot think of yourself. In the end it is the manager who decides. So I accept his decision. As the reserve goalkeeper you have to be ready. I didn’t play three games before the semi-final. I didn’t know if I was going to play in that. He only told me just before the game. And I was ready. I kept a clean sheet. If I had been head down in my own mind, I wouldn’t have been ready. I am always ready to help the team in any way.”

This afternoon, that is likely to mean starting against City, the club that might have signed him. And from there Al Habsi will be in line for quite an end to his season. “Oman has a great chance to go to the World Cup, for the first time ever . Win our next two games at home in June and we can go straight to Brazil. Imagine, by the end of this season I could still be in the Premier League, have won the FA Cup final and be going to the World Cup.” That is what you call the very definition of Wigan optimism.

We interviewed Nicholas Carr, the author of, “The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains,” about how the Internet is influencing us, our creativity, our thought processes, our ideas, and how we think.

The Omani international has not played a Premier League game since the Latics’ 4-0 home defeat to Liverpool on March 2, with the on-loan Joel Robles between the sticks at the DW Stadium as Wigan lost 3-2 to Swansea on Tuesday night.

However the 31-year-old isn’t pushing the panic button quite yet. Al Habsi had been dropped three games prior to the semi-final against Millwall, but started at Wembley and kept a clean sheet as Wigan progressed to the final with a 2-0 win.

“It was amazing for me to play at Wembley,” the keeper tells Sport360°. “When you come out of the tunnel and you see that beautiful stadium with the atmosphere, the feeling of the fans, it’s great. It was nice, my first time in Wembley in a semi-final, to win 2-0 with a clean sheet. We made something special for the football club and now we’re looking forward to the cup final.”

On his chances of starting against Manchester City in English football’s showpiece event, Al Habsi adds: “It’s all about the manager because when I played the semi-final we had played three games in the league before that and I hadn’t started but I started the Cup semi-final.

“We are a small squad and I have to be professional with it and just focus, train hard and be ready for any game. If I play any game I have to be ready for it and the most important thing for me now is to win as many games as possible in the league and win the Cup final.

“In the end even if I don’t play and we win the Cup I will be part of it as I played the semi-final, I took the team to the final.”

Making history

If Wigan coach Martinez does stick with Al Habsi at Wembley the gargantuan shot-stopper will become only the second Arab to play in the final, following Algerian international Nadir Belhadj’s substitute appearance for Portsmouth in 2010.

No Arabic player has ever graced the hallowed turf from kick-off though which is something the 2009 Gulf Cup-winner believes would be a huge honour not just for himself but also “everyone in Oman, the Gulf and the Middle East”.

Many players would buckle under the weight of such pressure but not a man who has made more than 100 top-flight appearances since arriving in England, via Norway, in 2006.

“I don’t think there is a big, big pressure because I am used to it now,” the former Lyn Oslo and Bolton custodian reveals. “At first, yes, there was pressure because you have to prove yourself, you have to work hard but now I have made my name and I have played more than 110 games in the Premier League.

“It’s been a brilliant period for me here in England but believe me I have more. I am still 31, I have maybe nine more years in my football life and I have to be fit, I have to be focused for the future and hopefully if I play the final and we win it’s going to be one of the biggest things I have done in my professional career in Europe.”

Al Habsi is in no doubt that the Lancashire side can upset their deep-pocketed neighbours. “Of course it’s going to be a very tough game but in football every time you have a chance,” he says. “I do not believe that you go into a game just to lose it. For example Borussia Dortmund won 4-1 against Real Madrid, no one believed that but then Bayern Munich beat Barcelona 4-0, and that’s impossible in football.

“Every game you have to go there, be 100 per cent and give everything. Don’t forget last season we beat Manchester United, we beat Liverpool, we beat Arsenal, we beat Newcastle to stay in the league.”

Flying the flag

If the 94-times capped Oman keeper does start in north-west London it would be ano-ther feather in the cap of not only Arab, but Gulf football.

Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Oman and Qatar can all still make the 2014 World Cup, with Al Habsi suggesting wins from each of their last two qualifiers will be enough for his country, while the UAE dazzled at last summer’s Olympics before waltzing off with January’s Gulf Cup unbeaten.

Commitments in England kept him out of the tournament in Bahrain but he was impressed with what he saw from Mahdi Ali’s side on television, and has urged the team’s stars to join him in Europe.

“I watched the Gulf Cup and the UAE did brilliant,” he says. “I think if any of those players have a chance to come to Europe I would advise them to come and to try and have a new experience. I don’t think straight away to the Premier League, maybe another European league where you can start to get experience.

“I did not come straight to the Premier League. I went to Norway, spent three years there and had the experience. You get stronger, mentally and physically.

“It was really, really important to start with the lower league because to come straight from the Gulf and try to play in the Premier League would be hard, very hard.”

Come 19:45 on Saturday, Al Habsi may have just done his bit to put Middle Eastern football well and truly on the map.

AL HABSI ON…

FA Cup final excitement
The chairman David Whelan is so happy to be there, he is excited and don’t forget he played the final before with Blackburn. He can’t wait to walk out with the team in the final and hopefully, we can get something from it.

Cup success or Premier League survival
Maybe I can say both but most important thing is the league, to stay in the Premier League. For the football club to stay in the league is brilliant.

Playing at the 2014 World Cup
I would be very, very happy to see an Oman flag at the biggest competition in the world and… to play in Brazil, one of the biggest countries in the world with people who love football and have won the World Cup five times, it would be brilliant for us.