MUSCAT: Al Nasr routed Dhofar 4-0 in a one-sided match at the Al Saada Sports Complex Stadium on Sunday evening in Round 19 of the Omantel League.
The game began with cautious attacks from both teams, with Al Nasr enjoying better possession. Soon, the play was confined to midfield with scattered attacks posing no direct threat to either goal. In the fifth minute, Al Nasr came close to scoring when Walid al Musalmi unleashed a shot, saved by goalkeeper Mazen al Kasbi, deflecting it for a corner.
Al Nasr continued their attacks, with Walid al Musalmi missing a chance to score after his shot went over the opponent's goal. In the 27th minute, Dhofar almost scored when their young player Ahmed al Shanfari's shot was saved by goalkeeper Hassan al Breiki. Al Nasr kept pressing, but their forwards failed to capitalise, with Mazen al Kasbi leaving the field due to injury in the 33rd minute, replaced by Abdullah al Aufi. Both teams exchanged attacks until the first half ended in a goalless draw.
In the second half, Al Nasr took the lead with a goal by Abu Bakr Masalli in the 46th minute. In the 59th minute, Al Nasr extended their lead through Walid al Musalmi after an organised attack into the penalty area, which he converted past goalkeeper Abdullah al Aufi. The two sides continued to exchange attacks until the 77th minute when Al Nasr scored their third goal through Walid al Musalmi.
Al Nasr kept the pressure on Dhofar's goal, and in the 85th minute, Bahraini player Mahdi al Humaidan scored the fourth goal after receiving a good pass from his teammate Fahd Adel and sending it straight into the net past Abdullah al Aufi. The match ended with a comprehensive victory for Al Nasr over Dhofar at 4-0.
With this win, Al Nasr raised their tally to 25 points in sixth place, while Dhofar remained at 20 points, dropping to tenth place.
AL WAHDA OVERCOME IBRI
In an exciting match at the Ibri Sports Complex Stadium, the Al Wahda team defeated Ibri 2-1.
The game started with relative dominance from Ibri, who made several attempts to score, but goalkeeper Ibrahim al Rajhi thwarted their efforts. Ibri's Emmanuel Mahop scored in the sixth minute. On the other hand, Al Wahda became more active after conceding a goal and managed to equalise in the 43rd minute through Diyab al Shahmi with a brilliant header, ending the first half in a 1-1 draw.
In the second half, Al Wahda continued their attacks and scored the winning goal in the 55th minute through Mohamed al Awfi with a remarkable header. Ibri attempted to respond but in vain, as the match ended with Al Wahda's victory, raising their points to 13, placing them at the bottom of the table. Ibri remained at 24 points, dropping to seventh place.
SUR EDGE AL SHABAB
On Sunday evening, Sur achieved an exciting 2-1 victory over their rivals Al Shabab at the Al Rustaq Sports Complex.
The game started with Sur's dominance, who made several attempts to score, but Al Shabab were more effective, with Hatem al Hamhami scoring in the 23rd minute from outside the penalty area. In the 38th minute, Al Shabab's Juliusson received a direct red card for rough play. Despite Sur's attempts to equalise, Al Shabab ended the first half leading 1-0.
In the second half, both teams intensified their efforts, and despite Sur’s offensive play, Al Shabab took advantage of their numerical superiority due to the red card. However, Sur managed to equalise in the 60th minute through Abdulhafiz al Mukhaini. Not content with the draw, Sur scored the winning goal in the 77th minute through Youssef al Mukhaini, exploiting Al Shabab's defensive lapse.
With this victory, Sur raised their tally to 21 points, occupying ninth place in the overall standings, while Al Shabab remained at 23 points, dropping to eighth place.
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