Dhofar, Nizwa and Sohar triumph in Round 2

Muscat, Sept 12

After the conclusion of the second round of the 2025 First Division Hockey League, the features of the race for the top spots began to take shape in both groups. Dhofar continued to impose their dominance in Group A, collecting a perfect six points after their second consecutive victory over Qurayat to lead the table alone. Nizwa came second with four points following their thrilling win against Al Ittihad, while Qurayat remained third with a single point and Al Ittihad stayed at the bottom without any points.

In Group B, Sohar proved to be the strongest side so far after recording another win, this time against Masirah with a 2–0 scoreline, raising their tally to six points and topping the group with a significant goal difference (+14). Masirah stayed on three points in second place, while Saham and Al Nahda remain pointless after defeats in the first round. These results underline that the battle for the two qualification spots from each group will heat up as the league heads into its upcoming rounds.

DHOFAR BLANK QURAYAT

Dhofar secured an important victory over Qurayat at the Hockey Oman Stadium in Al Amerat. Dhofar wasted no time, as Akram Ashour opened the scoring in the first minute from a well-executed penalty corner, giving his side a strong psychological boost. Qurayat attempted to respond quickly, but Dhofar’s defence stayed solid. In the 17th minute, Ashour struck again from another penalty corner, ending the first half with a comfortable lead. In the second half, Qurayat pushed through Fahd al Shirazi and Laith al Nabhani, but goalkeeper Ahmed Thabit and his defence stood firm, sealing a 2–0 win for Dhofar.

NIZWA EDGE AL ITTIHAD

In another thrilling clash, Nizwa turned the tables on Al Ittihad with a 3–2 victory at the Hockey Oman Stadium. The game started evenly until the 23rd minute, when Al Ittihad took the lead through Ammar Awad.

Nizwa responded swiftly with goals from Haitham al Riyami and Zakariya al Nabhani, finishing the first half ahead 2–1. In the third quarter, Issa al Shukaili extended Nizwa’s lead with a third goal in the 36th minute. Although Al Ittihad pulled one back with a successful penalty stroke from Fuad Ali Rabie in the 44th minute, Nizwa held their ground until the final whistle.

SOHAR BEAT MASIRAH

In Group B, Sohar maintained their positive momentum with a valuable 2–0 victory against Masirah at Sohar Hockey Stadium. The first half was cautious and ended goalless, but in the 17th minute, Ahmed al Shibli broke the deadlock with a powerful finish after a well-coordinated move, giving Sohar a 1–0 lead at half-time.

Al Shibli doubled the score in the 39th minute, confirming his team’s superiority. Despite Masirah’s late efforts, the result did not change, as Sohar secured a 2–0 win to stay top of the group with a comfortable goal difference cushion.