MUSCAT: The preliminary rounds of the 55th edition of HM Hockey Cup 2025 concluded on Sunday with the final round of matches, which saw victories for Qurayat, Sohar, Mirbat and Saham. These results finalised the lineup of teams advancing to the playoff stage that will determine qualification for the finals.
In Group 2, Qurayat continued their dominant form with a commanding 6–0 victory over Oman Club at the Oman Hockey Stadium in Al Amerat, securing the top spot in the group with a perfect record of 9 points from three matches. Oman Club remained in second place with 3 points.
In Group 1, Saham edged past Al Salam 2–1 in a closely contested encounter that remained competitive until the final moments. Saham raised their tally to 6 points to claim second place behind group leaders Sohar, while Al Salam stayed at 3 points.
At the Sohar Sports Complex, Sohar put on an attacking display, overwhelming Majees 6–1.
Sohar opened the scoring early through Muhannad al Maamari from a penalty corner in the 9th minute to end the first quarter 1–0.
In the second quarter, Sohar doubled their lead through Ahmed al Amri in the 17th minute, before Omar al Maamari added a third in the 23rd minute to close the half 3–0.
The team maintained its pressure in the third quarter, with Said al Noufli scoring the fourth (32’), Wael Sanqour adding the fifth (34’), and Yaqoub al Amri completing the sixth goal by the end of the quarter. Majees managed a consolation goal through Turki al Busaidy (55’) in the final quarter, ending the match 6–1 in Sohar’s favour.
With this victory, Sohar topped their group with 9 points, while Majees finished last with no points.
In Group 3, Mirbat secured second place after defeating Al Ittihad 2–1 at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex for Culture and Entertainment in Salalah.
Mirbat took an early lead through Raed bin Zahir al Barakah (16’), ending the first quarter 1–0. In the third quarter, Al Ittihad equalised through Ammar bin Imad (40’), but Mirbat had the final say when Ahmed bin Zahir al Barakah scored the winner in the 56th minute. Mirbat finished with 6 points in second place, while Al Ittihad remained on 3 points.
Following these results, the playoff stage will be held on Tuesday, October 28, with Sohar, the Group 1 leader, facing Saham, the runner-up, at the Sohar Sports Complex. Qurayat, the Group 2 leader, will meet Oman Club, the runner-up, at the Oman Hockey Stadium in Al Amerat, while Dhofar, the Group 3 leader, will face Mirbat, the runner-up, at the Cultural Complex in Salalah. Meanwhile, Masirah, the Group 4 leader, will play against Al Rustaq, the runner-up, also at the Sohar Sports Complex. The final rounds of the competition are set to begin on Sunday, November 2, featuring Ahli Sidab, Seeb, Al Amerat, and Salalah clubs, alongside the winners of the upcoming playoff matches.
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