MUSCAT: Seeb confirmed their qualification to the Junior Hockey League Finals after a resounding 7–2 victory over Al Nahda in the decisive play-off match held at the hockey field in Sohar Sports Complex, clinching the fourth and final ticket to the finals.
Seeb entered the match with early attacking pressure and opened the scoring in the seventh minute through Laith al Nabhani after a series of precise passes. The first quarter ended with Seeb leading 1–0 despite Al Nahda’s attempts to equalise.
In the second quarter, Seeb continued their attacking surge, as Hussein al Balushi capitalised on a quick counter-attack to net the second goal in the 16th minute. Despite Al Nahda’s efforts to absorb Seeb’s pressure and find a goal to reduce the deficit, Seeb exploited the disorganisation in Al Nahda’s ranks. Hussein al Balushi struck again before the end of the quarter to score the third goal, ending the period with Seeb comfortably ahead 3–0 in a well-organised team display.
At the start of the third quarter, Al Nahda adopted an aggressive approach in hopes of a comeback, pressing Seeb’s defence which retreated to protect their lead. However, Walid al Raisi took advantage of Al Nahda’s forward push, scoring Seeb’s fourth goal in the 35th minute from a swift counter-attack. Al Nahda refused to give up, as Ayham al Araimi pulled one back, followed by Mansour al Alawi, who added a second, ending the quarter at 4–2 and restoring some hope for his team.
In the final quarter, Seeb sealed the result early. Yazen al Balushi extended the lead with the fifth goal, and Mohannad al Balushi joined the scoring spree with the sixth. Mohannad then struck again from a perfectly executed penalty corner to make it 7–2, giving Seeb a well-deserved victory and a place in the finals.
Qualified Teams for the Finals
The line-up for the 2025 Junior Hockey League Finals is now complete: Ahli Sidab from Group One, Masirah from Group Two, Al Ittihad from Group Three, and Seeb.
The finals will be played in a single round-robin format, with each team facing the others. After the completion of the round, the first-place team will face the fourth-place team in one semifinal, while the second-place team will face the third-place team in the other semifinal. The winners will advance to the final to determine the champion and runner-up, while the losing teams will play for third place.
This season’s finals look evenly matched in terms of technical level, as each team has players capable of turning games around. Ahli Sidab enter the finals with the advantage of experienced players and an unbeaten record, having won all their matches and scored 24 goals without conceding. Masirah rely on cohesion and attacking speed, also winning all their matches, scoring 23 goals and conceding just one.
Al Ittihad’s strength lies in their solid defence, winning one match and drawing another, scoring four goals and conceding one. Meanwhile, Seeb aim to continue their upward trajectory shown in the qualifiers, despite losing two matches and winning three, scoring 20 goals and conceding six. The finals are expected to be fiercely competitive, likely decided by small details in the matches.
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