MUSCAT, OCT 19
Al Ittihad Club achieved a resounding 5–0 victory over Fanja in a match played at the Sultan Qaboos Youth, Culture and Entertainment Complex in Salalah. The game concluded the second round of the preliminary stages for Group C in the HM Cup Hockey Championship.
The match began evenly between Al Ittihad and Fanja, but Al Ittihad took control in the second quarter, opening the scoring through Fouad bin Ali Rabee in the 23rd minute. In the third and fourth quarters, Al Ittihad maintained dominance and added four more goals by Mohammed bin Ahmed Hadeed (37’), Osama bin Rajab (38’), Al Mutasim bin Shakeeb Marzouq (42’), and Salem bin Raed al Rawahi (55’), sealing a well-deserved 5–0 win.
In Group A action at the Sohar Sports Complex, the round was full of excitement. Al Salam overturned a deficit to defeat Majees 2–1, with goals from Nawaf al Raisi and Yahya bin Badr Al-Hinai.
The second match was one-sided as Sohar imposed its attacking rhythm from the start, netting five beautiful goals scored by Ahmed Al-Amri (8’), Shabeeb Khamis Al-Shibli (9’), Sultan al Shibli (24’), Muhannad al Maamari (34’), and Omar al Maamari (38’), confirming Sohar’s readiness to compete for the group’s top spot.
At the Oman Hockey Stadium in Al Amerat, Oman Club drew 3–3 with Nizwa in Group B.
Nizwa began strongly, opening the scoring in the 9th minute through Haitham al Riyami, and then doubled their lead via Aslam Hussein from a penalty corner in the 24th minute. Before the end of the second quarter, Oman Club reduced the deficit through Mahmoud al Battashi from a penalty corner, ending the half 2–1 for Nizwa.
In the third quarter, both sides held firm defensively until Aslam al Shaiki added Nizwa’s third from another penalty corner in the 51st minute.
However, Oman Club refused to give up, and Mahmoud al Battashi shone in the final minutes, scoring twice from penalty corners in the 56th and 60th minutes to secure a valuable 3–3 draw for his team.
Following the completion of the second round, the standings of the four groups became clear. In Group A, Sohar leads with 6 points and a +9 goal difference after two straight wins, followed by Saham and Al Salam with 3 points each, while Majees remains without points. While Qurayat tops the group Group B with 6 points and a +16 goal difference, followed by Oman Club with 3 points, ahead of Nizwa on goal difference, while Muscat is bottom without points. Dhofar continues to lead with 6 points and a +4 goal difference in Group C, followed by Al Ittihad with 3 points (ahead of Mirbat on goal difference), while Fanja sits last with no points. In Group D, Masirah tops the group with 6 points, tied with Al Nahda on points and wins but ahead on goal difference (+6), while Al Rustaq is third with 3 points and Ibri remains last with none.
The championship continues with third-round matches scheduled for Friday and Saturday, October 24 and 25, 2025, as teams aim for positive results to strengthen their chances of advancing to the next stage of Oman’s most prestigious hockey tournament.
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