MUSCAT: Al Ittihad Club clinched a valuable 2-0 victory over Masirah in their Under-18 Hockey League final stage encounter held at the Hockey Oman Stadium in Al Amerat on Wednesday.
The match began on a relatively balanced note, with a slight edge to Masirah, who threatened through the attacking trio of Al Abbas al Noufali, Hassan al Balushi and Al Fadl al Noufali. Al Ittihad, on the other hand, relied on well organised individual efforts, with Awadh Samah Barzgan and Salem bin Raed al Rawahi orchestrating attacks from the back with precise passes and forward penetrations. The first quarter ended goalless.
The second quarter saw a continuation of balanced play, with Yaseen Medhat al Maskari nearly putting Al Ittihad ahead after an impressive solo effort. Al Fadl al Noufali responded with a shot that went narrowly wide, but both teams failed to find the net by the end of the quarter.
No major changes occurred in the third quarter as both sides maintained a cautious approach, with limited attacking threat. The score remained 0-0 heading into the final period.
In the fourth quarter, Al Ittihad finally broke the deadlock in the 57th minute when Mutasim Marzooq scored following a well executed team move. Masirah was then forced to push forward in search of an equaliser, but their aggressive play backfired. In the final minute, Al Ittihad launched a counter-attack and earned a penalty corner, which Yaseen Medhat converted into a second goal, sealing a deserved 2-0 win.
THRILLING 2-2 DRAW
A highly entertaining clash between Seeb and Ahli Sidab ended in a 2-2 draw at the Hockey Oman Stadium in Al Amerat.
The match began with caution from both sides, although Seeb had a slight upper hand thanks to the movements of Fahad al Balushi and Mohammed al Shibli. Ahli Sidab responded with threats from Rashid al Alawi and Saeed al Fazari. The first quarter ended scoreless.
In the second quarter, both teams continued to share possession, but it was Seeb who broke the deadlock in the final minute through Yazan al Balushi, taking a 1-0 lead into half-time.
Ahli Sidab came out strong in the third quarter and managed to equalise through Saad al Fazari in the 35th minute, bringing the match back to level terms.
In the final quarter, Seeb regained the lead in the 57th minute via Hussein Darwish al Balushi. However, Al Fazari struck again just two minutes later in the 59th minute to snatch a dramatic equaliser for Ahli Sidab, resulting in one of the most exciting matches of the tournament.
Al Ittihad coach Medhat Skari expressed his gratitude to the Oman Hockey Association for their excellent organisation of the U18 League and praised the Competitions Committee for their active role in developing youth competitions this season.
He noted that in previous years, such tournaments were lacking, but the current season's structure and attention have significantly contributed to nurturing young talents. He stressed that such events are vital platforms for creating future national team players and professionals in the sport.
Skari also spoke about the challenges his team faced, particularly the tight match schedule, which is tough on young players. He added that his team initially struggled to adapt to the change in weather conditions, having started the tournament in Salalah’s Khareef climate before playing in Muscat, which affected their performance in the match against Masirah. Nonetheless, the players managed to stay focused and secured a crucial three points in the final quarter.
Regarding team ambitions, he affirmed that their goal is to compete for the championship title and approach each match with full focus. Since the tournament follows a single round robin format, all teams have an equal chance to win. Most of his players are participating in such a tournament for the first time, and the coaching staff will work diligently to analyse upcoming opponents and aim for a place in the final and ultimately the championship.
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