Al Nahda rally past Sohar, Samayil edge Ibri in JL

MUSCAT: The second day of Round 21 in the Jindal League delivered two lively encounters, as Al Nahda came from behind to beat Sohar 2-1, while Samayil secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Ibri in a match full of attacking moments and quick swings in momentum.
At Sohar Sports Complex, the home side made the brighter impact and went ahead in the 31st minute following a swift counter-attack. Al Mutasim al Maqbali moved forward and delivered a cross that confused Al Nahda’s penalty area, allowing Saud al Maqbali to pounce and fire home for the opening goal.

Al Nahda, however, responded at an important moment just before the break. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Mohammed Faraj rose to meet a corner with a powerful header after a delivery from Azzan, sending the visitors into the interval level at 1-1.
The turnaround was completed almost immediately after the restart. In the 47th minute, Amjad al Harthy sent in a cross that was met by Mohammed al Ghafri, whose header found the net to give Al Nahda the lead. From that point, the visitors managed the game well and held on to secure a valuable away victory.
The result lifted Al Nahda to 35 points in fourth place, strengthening their position in the race for the upper places, while Sohar remained on 32 points in fifth.

SAMAYIL EDGE IBRI
At Nizwa Sports Complex, Samayil and Ibri served up one of the most entertaining matches of the round, with the visitors eventually emerging 3-2 winners.
Samayil made a dream start in just the third minute after Ibri defender Khalid al Yaqoubi made an error at the back. Hazza al Mushaifri reacted quickly to win possession and squared the ball for Musab al Lamki, who finished calmly to put Samayil in front.
Ibri responded almost immediately and were back on level terms in the sixth minute. Foreign player Loic Paul provided the assist, and Abdulhamid al Mundhiri applied the finish past Alaa al Hamdani to make it 1-1.

The match remained open, with both sides looking capable of finding another goal, but it was Samayil who regained the advantage in the 23rd minute through Ahmed al Farsi. The forward produced a fine individual effort, moving past defenders before finishing confidently to restore his side’s lead and give Samayil a 2-1 advantage at half-time.
Samayil extended that lead in the second half when Hazza al Mushaifri once again played a decisive role, breaking through the defence before setting up Ahmed al Farsi for his second goal of the night in the 60th minute.
Ibri refused to give up and reduced the deficit in the 70th minute through Loic Paul, setting up a tense finish. Ibri pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages, but Samayil stayed composed and preserved their advantage until the final whistle.
The victory moved Samayil to 22 points in eighth place, while Ibri remained on 17 points in 12th.