There’s qualifying and there’s qualifying like Oman did on the picturesque sands of Pattaya.

Khalid Al Oraimi admitted 1-0 would have done, all that mattered was booking a trip to the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup UAE 2024™. Oman, by contrast, annihilated China PR 11-0 to do just that and set a record for the biggest knockout-phase victory in AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup history.

The draw for the global finals wasn’t kind to Oman, but results like that one in Thailand have Al Oraimi hopeful they can escape the group of death.

FIFA: How did you get into beach soccer?
Khalid Al Oraimi: I got into beach soccer in 2012, when there was a tournament arranged for local teams. I signed up to one of the teams and ended up winning the title, and I’ve been part of the Oman national team ever since.