MUSCAT — The face of Oman football is changing, thanks to Oman’s Gulf Cup win in January and the arrival of Samba boys last month.

Now it is time for some serious game. Arsenal one of the most popular football clubs in the world is coming to Oman!

Yes you heard that right.

Although it is not the team that is coming for now, the English Premier League side is setting up an Arsenal Soccer School right here in the heart of Oman in order to develop and nurture the younger players in the country, who could one day fulfil their dream of becoming a professional player and one day, may be play, for this Arsene Wenger side.

Joint venture

The Arsenal Soccer Schools Oman, which kick-starts on Sunday, is a joint venture between Arsenal and Mosaic, where boys and girls of all ages benefit from learning to ‘Play the Arsenal Way’.

According to Mosaic officials, the first group of coaching sessions conducted by the head coaches from the United Kingdom approved and interviewed by the Arsenal team will begin early next year.

“When Arsenal Soccer Schools agreed to work with us, we couldn’t refuse such a marvellous opportunity with such a world-renowned sporting brand,” said Hritik Khimji one of the directors of Mosaic Sports giving reasons behind bringing Arsenal to Oman.

Although there are plans to build a big Arsenal School in the near future, coaching classes will be conducted at Muscat Club in Wadi Kabir.

“This facility is on a lease and we have plans to build our own facility in future,” Mihir Khimji, director of Mosaic Sports said.

However, they have a complete administrative office at Mosaic Towers in Al Khuwair to support all their operations and will be setting up retail operations soon as well.

Speaking to Times Sport, Paul Shipwright, international director of Arsenal Soccer Schools did not rule out the possibility of the Arsenal team players and Wenger coming to Muscat to support this initiative.

“This is possible, dependent on their and the team’s schedules, but the project is not about Players visiting — it is about playing and coaching the Arsenal Way,” Paul said.

Arsenal began running soccer schools in the UK 25 years ago for local children in North London but eight years ago, this was expanded to include more children by using local partners.

Today, they have 40 partners in total, 20 overseas branches on every continent coaching more than 30,000 young people each year. The coaching programme will be either for 10 weeks in duration or comprise specific sessions during the summer and winter holidays.

“Customised programmes are also available depending on demand. A typical 10-week programme for training once a week would cost approx RO 150 (including training kits),” Hritik informed. In few years time, Mosaic Sports would target the whole of Oman setting up branches to popularise the game in the country.

Whole country

“We are targeting the whole country. Of course our first facility is in Muscat but in the future we hope to have easily accessible pitches and training facilities throughout the country,” Hirtik noted.

With the Oman Football Association (OFA) chairman Sayyid Khalid’s recent announcement of professionalising the game in the country according to Premier League pattern, this can only get a boost with Arsenal’s new plan of Soccer Schools in Oman.

“We hope to have a great relationship with the OFA and the Ministry of Sports Affairs, working together to improve the level of coaching and playing football,” Paul said.

“We hope to have locations outside of Muscat with players competing against each other,” he added.