MUSCAT: The first week of preliminary rounds in the 55th edition of the His Majesty the Sultan’s Hockey Cup concluded on Saturday evening, featuring several thrilling matches across different venues. The games showcased strong attacking performances from several teams that opened their campaigns with convincing victories, signalling their readiness to compete for qualification spots.
SAHAM TOP GROUP 1
At Sohar Club Complex, Saham delivered a commanding 5–1 victory over Majees in Group One.
Saham started aggressively and opened the scoring in the 5th minute through Saeed al Maamari, ending the first quarter 1–0.
Majees equalised in the 22nd minute via Abdullah al Raisi, but Saham quickly regained the lead through Al Mulhim al Mariki in the 28th minute to close the first half ahead 2–1.
Saham extended their dominance in the third quarter, with Al Maamari scoring again in the 36th minute, followed by Salem al Mariki’s goal in the 39th. Salem struck once more in the 50th minute to seal a deserved 5–1 victory for Saham.
SOHAR OVERPOWER AL SALAM
In another Group One clash, Sohar continued its strong form with a 4–0 win against Al Salam at the Sohar Sports Complex.
Ibrahim al Maamari opened the scoring in the 10th minute, followed by Omar al Maamari in the 18th. Ibrahim netted his second from a penalty corner in the 23rd minute, before Shabeeb al Shibli capped off the scoring with another penalty corner goal in the 50th minute, securing Sohar’s place at the top of the group.
OMAN DEFEAT MUSCAT IN THE CAPITAL DERBY
In Group Two, Oman Club claimed a valuable 3–1 victory over city rivals Muscat at the Oman Hockey Stadium.
The match was closely contested early on, but Oman’s superior attacking efficiency proved decisive, earning them the win and three crucial points.
DHOFAR DOMINATE AL ITTIHAD TO LEAD GROUP 3
In Group Three, Dhofar’s first team delivered a strong performance, thrashing Al Ittihad 4–1 at the Sultan Qaboos Youth, Culture and Entertainment Complex in Salalah.
The first quarter was evenly matched until Ahmed Akaak broke the deadlock from a penalty corner in the 6th minute. Mohammed bin Ghalib doubled the lead in the 22nd minute.
Akaak added his second in the 44th minute, and Abdullah Awad made it 4–0 in the 50th. Al Ittihad’s Fuad Rabeeh reduced the deficit from a penalty corner in the 57th minute, but Dhofar secured an emphatic 4–1 victory.
GROUP STANDINGS AFTER WEEK ONE
At the end of the first week of the 55th His Majesty the Sultan’s Hockey Cup, the standings were as follows: Group One Saham leads with 3 points , followed by Sohar also with 3 points but lower goal difference; Majees and Al Salam remain without points. In Group Two, Qurayat tops the group with 3 points (+8), followed by Oman with 3 points (+2); Muscat and Nizwa have no points. While Group Three Dhofar and Mirbat share the lead with 3 points each (+3 goal difference), Al Ittihad and Fanja remain without points. Lastly in Group Four Masirah leads with 3 points (+2), followed by Al Rustaq and Al Nahdha with one point each, and Ibri in fourth place with no points.
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