MUSCAT: Samayil and Saham played out a dramatic 2-2 draw at the main stadium of Nizwa Sports Complex, in a clash that opened Round 2 of the Elite League. The encounter was packed with goals, turning points, and late drama that left both teams sharing the spoils.
The game was thrilling from the start, with Samayil opening the scoring in the 34th minute through Dawood Suleiman al Jabri, who converted a penalty with precision to the right of the goalkeeper. However, Saham equalised in first-half stoppage time (45+1) when Mohsin Jowhar struck a direct free kick into the net.
In the second half, Samayil regained the lead in the 60th minute through Khalid al Buraiki, who headed home powerfully from a corner. Yet, Saham refused to give up and pushed hard in the closing minutes, eventually finding the equaliser in the 89th minute when a cross from Mohammed al Balushi was mistakenly turned into his own net by Samayil defender Abdulaziz al Rawahi.
With this result, both teams shared the points, each collecting their first point of the round. The match highlighted the closeness in level and the determination of both sides to make their mark in the league. Saham registered its first point of the season, as did Samayil , placing them temporarily in ninth and tenth place in the standings.
Meanwhile, Sohar climbed to the top of the Elite League table after a valuable 1-0 victory over visiting Dhofar at Sohar Sports Complex in Round 2 of the competition.
The first half saw balanced exchanges, with the most notable chances being a shot from Mohammed al Mujaini that the Sohar goalkeeper saved, an effort from Omar Adel after a cross by Mohammed al Habsi, and a joint move between Keita and Raed Ibrahim cleared by Dhofar’s defence. The half ended goalless, with controversy arising when referee Mohammed al Mayahi declined to award Dhofar a penalty in the 19th minute for a handball inside the box.
In the second half, both sides increased the tempo in search of a breakthrough, with the coaches making several attacking substitutions. Sohar had early chances through Raed Ibrahim and his teammates, while Dhofar pressed forward, only to be denied by goalkeeper Majdi Shaaban’s fine saves.
Finally, in the 83rd minute, Iraqi forward Amir Alaa broke the deadlock, sprinting down the right wing before unleashing a powerful strike into the far corner past goalkeeper Mazin al Kasbi, sealing the three points for Sohar.
With this win, Sohar raised its tally to 6 points to take the lead at the top of the table, while Dhofar remained without points after suffering its second consecutive defeat, dropping to 13th place, just above the bottom of the league standings.
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