Muscat: The match between Seeb and their guests Al Khabourah ended in a 2-2 draw on Tuesday at the Seeb Stadium, concluding the first round of the Oman Elite League.
Seeb started strongly from the opening minutes, relying on the movements of their midfield trio Abdullah Fawaz, Arshad al Alawi and Zaher al Aghbari who delivered several precise passes that were not capitalised on. Left-back Ali al Busaidy’s overlapping runs and crosses posed a constant threat, while Al Khabourah responded through their professional player Colin Anthony, whose powerful strike in the 18th minute was denied by goalkeeper Ahmed al Rawahi. Despite the exchange of attacks, the first half ended goalless.
Al Khabourah came out with more determination in the second half, pressing forward with continuous attacks. However, Seeb struck first in the 52nd minute when Nasser al Rawahi finished off a neat pass from Zaher al Aghbari with a powerful shot to the right of goalkeeper Omar al Matrooshi. The goal boosted the home side’s confidence as they pushed for more.
Al Khabourah refused to back down and equalised in the 65th minute through Colin Anthony, who latched onto a through ball, went one-on-one with Ahmed al Rawahi and calmly slotted home. Just three minutes later, Seeb regained their lead when Nasser al Rawahi rose brilliantly to head in Ali al Busaidy’s precise cross, completing his brace to the delight of the home fans.
Despite trailing, Al Khabourah continued their relentless search for an equaliser. The movements of Nawaf al Hosani and Youssef al Saadi threatened Seeb’s defence, but poor finishing denied them success. In the 79th minute, substitute Khalifa al Mazrouei stole the show, spotting the goalkeeper off his line and executing a brilliant lob from outside the box to make it 2-2.
The final minutes were filled with drama, with both sides pushing for a winner. Seeb’s substitutes unleashed several shots, while Al Khabourah’s counterattacks nearly snatched all three points if not for Seeb’s alert defending. The referee’s final whistle confirmed a thrilling 2-2 draw, leaving the teams to share the spoils.
AL NAHDA TOP TABLE
With the first round of the 2025–2026 Oman Elite League completed, Al Nahda top the table on goal difference after their 3-0 win over Samayil, followed by Sohar in second after a 4-2 victory over Al Rustaq. Bahla sit third with a 2-0 win over Saham, while Al Nasr rank fourth after beating Sur (2-0). Al Shabab are fifth thanks to a 2-0 win against Ibri and Oman Club are sixth after a narrow 2-1 win over Dhofar. Seeb and Al Khabourah share seventh and eighth place with one point each from their draw. Meanwhile, Ibri, Dhofar, Al Rustaq, Saham, Sur and Samayil remain without points, occupying the lower positions after the first week of play.
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