Muscat: Fanja snatched a hard-fought 1-0 victory against their counterpart Al Salam Club in the preliminary round of the His Majesty Cup Football Championship on Thursday.
The match at Sohar Sports Complex saw many missed opportunities by hosts Al Salam Club.
In the first half, Al Salam Club applied intense pressure, pushing for an early lead. Fanja adopted a defensive strategy, focusing on building attacks from the back.
Al Salam had several dangerous chances within the first 30 minutes, notably in the 17th minute when Al Salam striker Diop missed a critical opportunity. Despite continued pressure from Al Salam, they were unable to convert chances into goals. The pressure continued and Al Salam had another counter-attack, but Khalid al Jabri shot over the goal, missing a chance to take the lead.
As the first half progressed, Fanja regained momentum and created several opportunities; however, they failed to capitalise effectively. The first half concluded in a goalless draw.
Al Salam initiated the second half with a similar approach, maintaining high pressure and seeking scoring opportunities. Unfortunately, they were unable to capitalise on their chances. In contrast, Fanja seized the moment and scored the decisive goal during the fourth minute of
stoppage time in the second half (90 + 4), securing their place in the last 16.
Notably, Fanja is ranked as the second most successful team in winning the HM's Cup with 9 titles while Dhofar hold the record with 10 titles.
AL TALEA THROUGH
In another compelling match, Al Talea Club, competing in the Tamkeen League for First Division Clubs, triumphed over Al Wahda Club, an Omantel League club, with a score of 2-1, advancing to the round of 16 in the HM's Cup.
The match, held at the Sur Sports Complex, saw an intense first half ending in a 1-1 tie, with goals from Abdulia for Al Wahda and Akfuye Gishi for Al Talea.
Abdul Hafez Thuwaini's decisive goal in 90+1 in the second half secured Al Talea's victory. Thus, Al Talea qualified for the round of 16, setting a date with Al Nasr, in one of the surprises of the HM Cup.
Sur were the first team to qualify for the round of 16, after defeating Muscat 4-1 at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher.
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