Sohar stun Rustaq in six-goal thriller, Bahla down Saham

MUSCAT: Sohar secured an exciting 4-2 victory over Al Rustaq in a thrilling, goal-filled encounter hosted at the Al Rustaq Sports Complex, as part of the opening round of the Elite League.

Both teams started cautiously, seeking to avoid an early setback. Sohar’s first chance came in the third minute when striker Amir Alaa’s shot went straight into the hands of Al Rustaq’s goalkeeper. With Sohar gradually increasing their pressure, Duane Muckette opened the scoring in the 15th minute, giving his side the lead. Al Rustaq retreated and relied on crosses, while Sohar maintained control. AL Rustaq’s best attempts came through Ibrahim al Harrasi and Khalid al Haddabi, with the latter’s strike denied by the left post in the 23rd minute. Sohar responded with a chance from Mohamed Ihab, while Al Haddabi missed a golden header opportunity just before half-time, which ended 1-0 in Sohar’s favour.

Al Rustaq came out aggressively in the second half searching for an equaliser, with Ahmed al Adawi forcing Sohar’s keeper into a save in the 54th minute. Sohar replied with a dangerous chance from Duane Muckette in the 65th minute, but Al Rustaq’s defence held firm. Persistence paid off for the hosts when Qusai al Maamari struck a powerful left-footed effort in the 78th minute to level the match. However, Sohar quickly restored their lead in the 81st minute as Muckette netted his second with a thunderous shot from distance.

The game reached peak drama in the final moments. Issa al Buraidi equalised for Al Rustaq in the 85th minute with a header, but Sohar responded almost instantly when Amir Alaa struck in the 86th minute, before sealing the win with his second goal in stoppage time. Sohar walked away with a 4-2 triumph, earning three valuable points to kick off their Elite League campaign.

Bahla defeated Saham 2-0 at the Sohar Sports Complex.

BAHLA BLANK SAHAM

Meanwhile, Bahla launched their Elite League campaign with a valuable away win, defeating Saham 2-0 at the Sohar Sports Complex.

The first half was fairly balanced, with Bahla enjoying more possession and control in midfield. However, their dominance produced just one dangerous chance, while Saham’s attack was completely ineffective, failing to trouble the goalkeeper.

Early in the second half, Bahla broke the deadlock in the 49th minute when Abdulsalam al Shukaili converted a left-footed finish from a corner delivered by Nasser al Saqri. The visitors continued to press, and in the 64th minute, Al Shukaili doubled the lead, finishing off a precise pass from his brother, Majid al Shukaili, once again with his left foot.

Bahla wasted further opportunities to widen the margin, while Saham struggled to keep up with the tempo, creating their only real chance in the 83rd minute through Ahmed al Abdulsalam’s shot. In the closing stages, both sides exchanged half-chances, but the defences and goalkeepers held firm. The match ended in a deserved 2-0 victory for Bahla, leaving Saham disappointed in their opening fixture.