Nizwa, Dhofar, Masirah and Rustaq shine in HM Hockey Cup

MUSCAT, OCT 25
The preliminary rounds of the 55th edition of HM Hockey Cup 2025 continued across several venues in Oman, as Nizwa, Dhofar, Masirah, and Al Rustaq recorded impressive victories that strengthened their chances of advancing to the final stages of the prestigious tournament.
NIZWA 5 × 2 MUSCAT
In Group 2, Nizwa Club maintained its strong form with a convincing 5–2 win over Muscat Club in the match held on Friday, at the Oman Hockey Stadium in Al Amerat.
Nizwa started aggressively, dominating the first quarter with tactical discipline and quick attacking play, finishing it with a 4–0 lead. The goals came from Sami al Saqri (7’) and Ahmed al Balushi (8’), before Al Balushi added two more in the 12th and 13th minutes from penalty corners.
In the second and third quarters, Muscat tried to get back into the game and managed to reduce the gap through Luay Nasser (36’) from a penalty corner. However, Nizwa extended their lead again with a fifth goal scored by Islam al Saqri (44’). Muscat’s Badr Qais scored in the final minute, ending the match 5–2 in favour of Nizwa.
With this win, Nizwa raised their tally to 4 points, temporarily moving to second place in the group, while Muscat remained without points after suffering their third consecutive loss.
DHOFAR 4 × 0 FANJA
In Group 3, Dhofar Club earned an important 4–0 victory over Fanja Club in the third-round match held at the Sultan Qaboos Youth, Culture, and Entertainment Complex in Salalah.
Dhofar opened the scoring early through Aseel Amin Arafah (2’) and doubled the lead via Mohammed Ghalib Obaid (6’) to end the first quarter up 2–0. The score remained unchanged until the final quarter, when Abdullah al Raa scored twice in the 49th and 59th minutes, confirming Dhofar’s dominant four-goal win.
This victory strengthened Dhofar’s position at the top of Group 3 with a perfect 9 points from three straight wins, while Fanja remained bottom of the group with no points.
Al RUSTAQ 5 × 0 IBRI
In another fixture, Al Rustaq Club was awarded a 5–0 victory by default after Ibri Club withdrew from the match.
With this result, Al Rustaq moved up to 4 points in second place, while Ibri remained without points after suffering their third loss in the preliminary round.
MASIRAH 10 × 1 AL NAHDA
At the Sohar Sports Complex, Masirah Club produced a stunning attacking display, crushing Al Nahda Club 10–1, in one of the biggest scorelines recorded so far in the tournament.
Masirah dominated from start to finish, showcasing excellent teamwork and sharp offensive play, reaffirming their readiness to compete seriously for qualification to the final rounds. With this emphatic win, Masirah maintained the top spot in their group with 9 points, while Al Nahda remained at 4 points, having won one game and lost two.