Muscat: Oman Football Association (OFA) chief Sayyid Khalid Al Busaidi yesterday dispelled rumours over change of helm at the Oman under-23 team following Philippe Burle’s boys dismal performance at the just-concluded GCC Olympic (U-23) Teams Championship in Bahrain.

The Frenchman coach and his team came under severe criticism for the inconsistent display at the GCC tournament. The team managed just one victory in three outings in Bahrain.

Oman, who won the title in 2011 under Omani coach Hamad Al Azzani, also fared poorly in 2012 exiting in the group stage with Brule at the helm.

The team’s poor performance for the second time, especially ahead of the AFC Under-22 Championship to be hosted by Oman in January 2014, led to the talk of plans to change the coach.

But Sayyid Khalid rejected the rumours saying there is ‘no intention to change the Olympic team’ at this time.

“The team did not do well at the GCC championship. But prior to the event, we knew the team was not at their best to compete for the cup. But we looked at our participation as a preparation for the AFC Under-22 Championship we will be hosting in January.”

He added: “We want the team do well in the Asian event at home. We will soon sit with the coach and the technical staff to try to find out what needs to be done.”