Dhofar and Al Shabab play out goalless draw

MUSCAT: Dhofar and Al Shabab played out a goalless draw on Friday during the match that took place at Al Rustaq Sports Complex as part of the 17th round of the Oman League. The first half saw the game confined to the midfield by both sides without any real chances for either team. Al Shabab played with a tight and organized zonal defense and relied on quick counter-attacks to create attacking opportunities while Salalah based team tried to play with a build-up from the back style. The home team Al Shabab tried to surprise Dhofar with a few chances, the most notable of which was Mahmoud al Khasibi's shot in the 42nd minute, while Dhofar's players did not record any real chances to remember, as the first half ended in a 0-0 result.

Al Shabab took the initiative to attack from the start of the second half, looking to snatch the lead. Their player Mohammed Faraj shot a powerful ball that went just over the crossbar in the 58th minute. Al Shabab continued their pressure, and Emerson almost scored with a header that went wide of Dhofar's right post in the 66th minute. They also had several other chances that Dhofar's defenders and goalkeeper Mazen al Kasbi managed to block successfully. Al Shabab players demanded a penalty after a foul inside the box, but the referee did not respond to their demands. Dhofar retreated into their half as time went on, relying on counter-attacks. They made a substitution by entering Mohammed Salem to replace Awad Mohammed in the 77th minute. Al-Shabab striker Emerson threatened Dhofar's goal with a powerful shot that went just over the crossbar in the 80th minute. The final minutes of the match saw a flurry of attempts from both teams to break the deadlock but to no avail. The match ended in a goalless draw.

With this result both teams raised their points tally to 20, with Al Shabab holding the edge on goal difference, placing them in eighth while Dhofar sits in ninth. The stalemate failed to shake up the table, as neither team capitalized on Al Rustaq's defeat of Ibri to snatch sixth place.