MUSCAT, OCT 25
Al Musannah Club booked their place in the Round of 16 of the His Majesty’s Cup Football Championship after a thrilling victory over Fanja Club in a knockout match that ended in a penalty shootout on Friday evening.
From the start, Al Musannah imposed their rhythm and dominated the first half, controlling possession and creating several dangerous opportunities, their efforts paid off midway through the half when Ahmed al Balushi scored the opening goal with a well placed strike that gave his side the lead.
Al Musannah continued pressing for a second goal and came close on multiple occasions, but poor finishing denied them the chance to extend their advantage, Fanja, meanwhile, had two half chances during the opening 45 minutes, but they posed little threat to the solid Al Musannah defense, the first half ended with Al Musannah leading 1–0.
The second half saw a more determined performance from Fanja, who came out with greater energy and better ball control, their persistence was rewarded when Mohammed Faraj equalised with a precise shot, bringing the score to 1–1 and reigniting the contest.
After the equaliser, Al Musannah appeared to lose some momentum and sat deeper in defense, allowing Fanja to push forward in search of a winner, in the closing minutes, Mohammed Faraj nearly scored again for Fanja, but his effort narrowly missed the target, With no further goals scored, the match ended in a 1–1 draw, sending the tie to penalty kicks.
In the shootout, Al Musannah kept their composure and converted their spot kicks with confidence, ultimately securing victory and a place in the Round 16, where they will face Al Nahdha Club in what promises to be another exciting encounter.
In another fixture, Al Wahda Club edged past Al Mudhaibi in a five goal thriller, winning 3–2 to secure qualification to the next stage, Naif al Ghailani opened the scoring for Al Wahda, while Nasib al Ghailani netted twice to complete the team’s tally, For Al Mudhaibi, Osama al Habsi and Al Basel al Habsi scored their side’s two goals in a close fought contest.
With this result, Al Wahda Club will now meet Oman Club in the next round, as the prestigious His Majesty’s Cup continues to deliver drama and excitement across the Sultanate of Oman.
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