Muscat, April 22
Sohar pulled off a major upset by defeating league leaders Seeb 3-2 in a thrilling match held on Monday at the Sohar Sports Complex as part of Matchday 19 of the Omantel League.
Sohar opened the scoring in the 18th minute through Saud al Maqbali, followed by a second goal in the 37th minute from Mohsen Johar, who capitalised on a costly error by Seeb's goalkeeper. Seeb responded in the 44th minute with a goal from Zaher al Aghbari, who netted a rebound off the crossbar.
Just two minutes into the second half, Abdullah al Balushi made it 3-1 for Sohar. Al Aghbari struck again in the 55th minute to bring Seeb closer, but despite several chances including shots by Jameel al Yahmadi and Aboukamara Seeb couldn’t find the equaliser. Sohar held on to secure the win.
With this victory, Sohar climbed to 21 points and temporarily escape the relegation zone, while Seeb remain on top with 47 points but suffer only their second defeat of the season.
SUR HOLD AL NASR
The match between Al Nasr and Sur ended in a goalless draw at the Al Saada Sports Complex.
The game began with moderate attacking intent from both sides. Al Nassr had the first notable chance through a shot by Abdul Fadel Saonina that went just wide, while Sur responded with a dangerous attempt from Mohammed al Najashi, brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Ibrahim al Rajhi. As the match progressed, the play was largely confined to the midfield with few clear chances.
In the second half, Al Nasr ramped up their attack after the introduction of substitute Osama Majdi. He nearly broke the deadlock in the 55th minute with a shot that struck the crossbar, followed by a header that was stopped by Sur’s keeper. Sur, in turn, relied on counterattacks, with Badr al Farsi coming close from a free kick.
In the final minute, Sur's Manea al Mukhaini was sent off for fouling Osama Majdi. However, Nassib al Ghilani failed to capitalise on the resulting free kick, and the match concluded in a 0-0 draw.
The result takes Al Nasr to 24 points in fifth place, while Sur remain bottom of the table with 14 points, deepening their relegation troubles.
AL SHABAB DOMINATE
Al Shabab secured a commanding 4-0 victory over hosts Ibri at the Ibri Sports Complex.
Shabab started aggressively and missed an early chance through Emerson in the 5th minute. Their pressure paid off in the 37th minute when Johnson Lima Do headed in a precise cross from Hatem al Roshdi to make it 1-0. Ibri came close to equalising before half-time, but Abdulaziz al Mandhari’s shot lacked danger.
The second half saw continued dominance from Shabab, with Ahed al Hudhaifi doubling the lead in the 54th minute with a brilliant strike. He followed up with another well-executed goal in the 61st minute after dribbling past the defence. Despite timid attempts by Ibri to reduce the deficit, Mohammed al Ghafri sealed the win with a fourth goal in the 71st minute, finishing from inside the box.
The victory lifts Al Shabab to 26 points, solidifying their fourth-place position, while Ibri remain ninth with 20 points.
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