Salalah crush Al Nasr 5–0 as third round concludes

Muscat: The preliminary rounds of the 2025 Under-21 Youth Hockey League conclude this evening, with three matches scheduled to kick off simultaneously at 5 pm. In the first match, Ahli Sidab face Saham at the Hockey Oman Stadium in Al Amerat.

The Sohar Sports Complex hosts the second encounter between Masirah and Seeb. The curtain will then fall on the final round with the third match, which brings together Salalah and Ittihad at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex for Culture and Entertainment in Salalah.

This round represents a decisive stage before entering the knockout phase, as teams aim to secure positive results to strengthen their chances of qualification.

SALALAH DOMINATE

In the final match of the third round of the preliminaries, Salalah and Al Nasr met at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex for Culture and Entertainment in Salalah. The game ended with a resounding 5–0 win for Salalah, after a commanding performance in which they asserted their dominance from the opening minutes until the final whistle. The match kicked off with Salalah displaying a strong intent to settle matters early.

Salalah and Al Nasr players in action.

In the fourth minute, Matar Juma opened the scoring with a well-organised attack that unsettled Al Nasr’s defence. Just a minute later, Rashad Mohammed doubled the lead with a powerful strike that reflected the team’s confidence. Rashad continued his stellar display, netting again in the eighth minute to complete a quick hat-trick of goals in the first quarter, which ended with Salalah leading 3–0 and clearly in control of the game.

In the second quarter, Al Nasr attempted to fight back, pushing forward in search of a goal to reduce the deficit. However, Salalah’s solid defensive organisation and smart positioning denied them any breakthrough. With Al Nasr growing frustrated, Salalah exploited their opponent’s forward momentum to extend the scoreline. Qais Sanjour scored the fourth goal in the 20th minute after a swift counterattack, and just two minutes later, Abdulaziz Ahmed widened the gap further with the fifth goal in the 22nd minute. By half-time, Salalah had secured a commanding 5–0 advantage.

In the third and fourth quarters, Al Nasr intensified their attacking efforts to cut into the lead, but every attempt was met with a resolute defence and the fine form of Salalah’s goalkeeper, who kept a clean sheet. On the other hand, Salalah managed the game by controlling the midfield and slowing the tempo, content to preserve the comfortable lead they had built in the opening two quarters.