MUSCAT: Five-time winners Al Nasr club put one foot in the semifinal of His Majesty’s Cup football championship 2023-24 as they recorded a thrilling 2-1 victory over Fanja in the first leg of their quarterfinals on Wednesday.
At Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Al Nasr registered a perfect comeback despite Fanja taking the lead through a header by Abdullah al Oraimi for the opening goal. Al Nasr’s Filip Akaah equalised before the end of the first half. Waleed al Musallami scored the winner in the 76th minute to deliver crucial triumph for the Salalah-based team.
The second leg match will take place on December 1 at Al Saada Stadium. The winner of this match will meet the winner between Al Nahda and Seeb in the semifinal.
Fanja, who are historically one of the most prominent candidates in HM Cup championships, and Al Nasr began the match strongly as they were seeking for a win to get closer to the semifinals.
Fanja managed to take the lead in the encounter after a good domination in the first quarter of the match. In the 17th minute, Abdullah al Oraimi struck the first goal from header after a cross from Basil al Raqadi. Al Oraimi’s header found the net after a mistake from Al Nasr’s defender inside the box.
Following the opening goal, Al Nasr pressed hard to find the equaliser. In the 37th minute, Al Nasr players demanded a penalty after their striker was brought down inside the box but referee Yahya al Balushi decided for a free kick near to the box. Filip Akaah’s strong shot hit the wall but he grabbed the rebound and struck home to net the equaliser. The first half ended in a 1-1 draw.
The five-time winners continued their good work in the second half as they created more attempts and they were the best side in the game. Waleed al Musallami made the score 2-1 in the 76th minute after he received a perfect pass from Anwar Mubarak.
With the triumph, the Salalah-based team has a better advantage for the return match which is scheduled on December 1 at Al Saada Sports Complex.
The remaining matches of quarterfinals will take place on Thursday as Bahla will meet Ibri at Nizwa Sports Complex while Seeb will face Al Nahda at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher. Dhofar and Oman Club match was played late on Wednesday at Al Saada Stadium.
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