Al Nahda defeat Sur to stay top of table

MUSCAT: Al Nahda maintained its position at the top of the Jindal league (JL) table after a well deserved 4–2 victory over Sur, in a match hosted at the Al Buraimi Sports Complex.
The first half kicked off with great enthusiasm, as Sur entered the match with an attacking approach in hopes of surprising Al Nahda with an early goal, with their striker missed a dangerous chance that went over the bar. As the minutes passed, Al Nahda began to impose its style and control the flow of the game through good organisation and effective wing play, translating this superiority into the opening goal in the 9th minute through Mohammed al Ghafaari, who capitalised on a cross and confidently slotted the ball into the net.
Despite Sur’s attempts to respond and get back into the match through advanced offensive pressure, Al Nahda remained the more dangerous side, threatening the goal with several chances. Mohammed al Mukhaini came close to equalising for Sur from a free kick that passed just wide of the post, followed by another wasted opportunity inside the penalty area. In the third minute of added time in the first half, Al Nahda succeeded in doubling the score after a well-organised attack, finished by Azzan al Tamtami with a powerful strike into the net, ending the first half with a 2–0 lead for Al Nahda.
The second half was even faster and more exciting. Sur earned a penalty in the 63rd minute, which Yousef al Mukhaini successfully converted to reduce the deficit. Just two minutes later, the same player struck again, taking advantage of clear defensive confusion within Al Nahda’s backline to equalise 2–2, reigniting the match.

The two Sur goals gave the team a strong morale boost, allowing them to control the game relatively for several minutes, while Al Nahda’s performance declined with an increase in errors and inaccurate passes. In the 85th minute, Al Nahda regained the lead when Azzan al Tamtami delivered a precise cross that Mohammed al Ghafaari headed brilliantly into the net, scoring the team’s third goal and his own second of the night.
In the 88th minute, Sur wasted a golden chance to equalise after chaos inside Al Nahda’s penalty area. The referee added five minutes of stoppage time, during which Al Nahda sealed the victory with a fourth goal from the penalty spot, confidently converted by Mohammed al Ghafaari, completing his personal hat trick and confirming a 4–2 win for his side. The final minutes also saw the dismissal of Al Nahda coach Nassif Bayawi and Sur’s fitness coach Ramadan Mohammed due to protests against refereeing decisions.
With this win, Al Nahda raised its tally to 13 points to firmly hold onto the top spot, while Sur dropped to 13th place, second from bottom, with only one point from one draw and four losses.
OMAN CLUB AND AL KHABOURAH SETTLE FOR DRAW
Meanwhile, the match between Al Khabourah and Oman Club ended in a goalless draw, in a contest characterised by defensive caution despite both teams’ relatively good attempts to secure the win. Strong defensive organisation prevailed, forcing the draw. With this result, Oman Club increased its tally to 10 points in 3rd place, while Al Khabourah reached 5 points in 8th place.