Al Nahda, Al Rayyan play out 1-1 draw in Gulf Cup CL

MUSCAT, Oct 23

Oman’s Al Nahda ended their second match in the 2025-26 AGCFF Gulf Cup Champions League with a 1-1 draw against Qatar’s Al Rayyan on Wednesday night at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat.

The result meant, Al Rayyan remained on top of Group B with four points while Al Nahda reached two points, placing third behind Yemen’s Tadhamon Hadhramout, who have three points and Al Shabab club from Saudi Arabia in fourth with one point. Al Nahda completed their opening match with a 1-1 draw against Saudi’s Al Shabab earlier this month.

In Muscat, Al Rayyan pressed hard in the opening half and they managed to dominate and create several scoring opportunities. However, hosts Al Nahda, under guidance of Naseef al Biawi, managed to struck first in the 35th minute as Masiko Alumo broke the deadlock with a well-executed counterattack that unsettled the Qatari defence and gave the Omani side a 1-0 lead heading into the break.

This was a second draw for Al Nahda in the Gulf Champions League.

In the deciding half, the opponent increased their attacking intensity in search of an equaliser as they pressed hard towards Al Nahda side. In the 66th minute, Al Rayyan through Rodrigo managed to capitalise after benefiting from a loose ball inside the box to slot home the leveller and bring his team back into the contest.

In the dying minutes, both teams worked hard to snatch a goal for a winner. Al Rayyan depended on the sustained offensive pressure while Al Nahda were relying on quick counterattacks but neither side could find the decisive goal.

The Al Buraimi-based club will host Yemen’s Tadhamon Hadhramout on November 5 at the same venue before heading into the return-leg fixtures starting in December.