MUSCAT, AUG 24
Bahla Club began their campaign in the Jetour Cup Football Tournament with a valuable 2-0 win over Sur, in a match played at Nizwa Sports Complex as part of Group One, which includes Al Nasr, Sur, Samayil, Oman Club, Seeb, Bahla, and Dhofar.
The first half of the match was of average quality, with Sur holding the upper hand offensively through the movements of Yousuf bin Nasser al Mukhaini, Ayman bin Ibrahim Haikal, Mohammed al Subhi, Mani Sbeit, and Badr al Farsi. However, Bahla goalkeeper Salah al Handhali was in fine form, denying them any goals. On the other side, Bahla failed to show their true potential despite attempts from Majid al Shukaili, Abdulsalam al Shukaili, Issam al Makhzoumi, and Hatem al Ghaithi, as the first half ended goalless.
In the second half, both sides sought to break the deadlock with a series of substitutions. Sur coach Abdelghani Bouamira made five changes at once to bolster his attack, while Bahla’s coach Abdelhalim al Warimi introduced influential substitutes that restored balance to his side. In the 80th minute, substitute Mohammed al Hosni broke the deadlock with a powerful strike that caught Sur goalkeeper Yousuf al Shiyadi off guard. Near the final whistle, Faisal al Balushi added a second goal, sealing all three points for Bahla and giving them a perfect start to the tournament.
THRILLING 1-1 Draw BETWEEN DHOFAR AND AL NASR
In the same group, Dhofar and Al Nasr kicked off their first week fixtures of the 2025/2026 Jetour Cup Football Tournament with an exciting 1-1 draw, in a match held at the Al Saada Sports Complex.
The game began at a quick pace, with Dhofar taking an early lead in the 16th minute through Ammar bin Abid Bayt Sbeeh, who converted a penalty awarded after Abdullah Zahir was fouled inside Al Nasr’s box. Ahmed al Shanfari nearly doubled the score in the 20th minute after going one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but his shot hit the side netting. The first half ended with Dhofar leading 1-0.
In the second half, Al Nasr applied more pressure in search of an equaliser, while Dhofar relied on counter attacks to exploit their opponent’s high pressing. Al Nasr came close to scoring in the 70th minute when substitute foreign player Abdal Fadil Saonina met a cross with a header that narrowly missed the post.
The closing minutes turned heated when the referee issued red cards to Anwar Mubarak of Dhofar and Yazid al Maashani of Al Nasr after a clash, forcing both sides to continue with ten players each. In the 90th minute, Al Nasr managed to equalise through Abdulhafidh Hadid, who pounced on a rebound inside the penalty area and smashed it past goalkeeper Mazin al Kasbi. The thrilling encounter ended with both sides sharing the spoils in their opening fixture.
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