IBRA: Al Shabab Club were crowned His Majesty the Sultan’s Cup champions for the first time in their history after defeating Seeb Club 1-0 in the final at the Ibra Sports Complex on Thursday night. Assigned by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Shaikh Al Fadhl bin Mohammed al Harthy, Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, presided over the final and crowned the winners.
The match began cautiously from both teams, with the opening minutes showing a clear advantage for Al Shabab. Seeb players struggled to bring the ball out of their defensive areas. Seeb relied on building-up from the back but quickly regained control and imposed their dominance, beginning to create attacking opportunities. The most notable chance came in the eighth minute when Al Yahmadi delivered a beautiful pass to Abdulaziz al Muqbali, but he failed to capitalise on it effectively.
In the 18th minute, Ahmed al Khamisi was sent off after a VAR review, leaving his team a man down. The red card was a result of a long ball played by Khalid al Braiki to the professional player Emerson, but Al Khamisi blocked it with his hand, prompting referee Ahmed al Yaqubi to issue the dismissal.
Al Shabab continued their pressure, and in the 26th minute, Hatem al Roshdi sent a high ball that put Mohammed al Ghafri in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper. However, he hesitated in taking the shot, missing a clear opportunity to open the scoring. Just two minutes later, Badr al Alawi delivered a precise pass that broke through Seeb’s defence, setting up Emerson, who nearly scored the first goal if not for the brilliant intervention of defender Arshad al Alawi, who cleared the ball skillfully.
Al Shabab maintained their offensive momentum and came close to scoring again in the 29th minute when Hatem al Roshdi sent in a cross that Mohammed al Ghafri met with a powerful shot, but the crossbar denied him a certain goal. The relentless attacks continued as Al Shabab reached Seeb’s goal again in the 37th minute, but Al Ghafri’s shot was weak and easily collected by goalkeeper Mutasim al Wahaibi.
With this scenario, the first half ended in a goalless draw, despite Al Shabab’s numerous chances. Meanwhile, Seeb maintained their defensive balance, benefiting from their goalkeeper’s brilliance and the resilience of their defensive line.
BADR BREAKS DEADLOCK
Al Shabab entered the second half with intense attacking pressure, taking advantage of Seeb’s numerical disadvantage. They nearly opened the scoring just two minutes in when Yousef al Malki sent in a cross that was met by Emerson, but Seeb’s defence successfully blocked the attempt.
In an effort to compensate for the numerical deficit, Seeb’s coach made a substitution at the start of the half, bringing on Mohammed Ramadan in place of Jameel al Yahmadi. In the 53rd minute, Abdulaziz al Muqbali squandered a golden opportunity after a brilliant run by Zaher al Aghbari from the left flank. Al Aghbari delivered a perfect pass to Al Muqbali, but he failed to capitalise on it.
Al Shabab continued their attacking pressure and managed to break the deadlock in the 58th minute through Badr al Alawi, who unleashed a stunning shot from outside the penalty area that found the back of the net. The team kept pushing to extend their lead, with both Badr al Alawi and Emerson Jolo missing several clear-cut chances.
Despite the setback, Seeb did not give up and intensified their attacks in search of an equaliser. Their most notable chance came in the 83rd minute when Abdulaziz al Muqbali fired a powerful shot that nearly found the net. Two minutes later, Yousef al Ghafri had a golden opportunity when he broke free against Seeb’s goalkeeper but failed to finish the move successfully.
Seeb continued to press in the final minutes, creating several dangerous chances, but Al Shabab’s defence remained resolute and held on to their lead. The match ended with a 1-0 victory for Al Shabab, securing the His Majesty's Cup for the first time in the club’s history.
Pictures by Abdulwahid al Hamadani
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