MUSCAT: The final of the fifth edition of the Handball Super Cup will take place this evening, bringing together Oman Club, the reigning champions, and Muscat Club, who are seeking to reclaim their place on the podium. The match will kick off at 6:00 pm at the main hall of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher, under the auspices of Shaikh Sultan bin Hamid al Hosni, Chairman of Al Khabourah Club.
Muscat punched their ticket to the final after a hard-fought victory over Seeb in the semifinals, winning 23–21 in a nail-biting encounter that remained undecided until its final moments. Muscat overcame their first-half deficit to secure a well-deserved win in the second half, earning a new showdown against Oman Club, who qualified automatically as last season’s champions.
MUSCAT STUN SEEB IN A DRAMATIC 23–21 SEMIFINAL COMEBACK
The Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex Hall in Bausher witnessed intense drama from the first whistle. Seeb struck first with a powerful shot from Osama al Kasbi, before goalkeeper Abdullah al Balushi made several crucial saves to keep his team in front. Seeb later extended their lead with two quick goals from Sultan al Balushi and Ashraf al Hadidi following a fast counterattack.
Seeb continued their scoring momentum as Algerian professional Mohammed al Ghazali made it 4–1, and Khalid al Jabri added the fifth to widen the gap to 6–1 midway through the first half. The Yellow side maintained full control, with Nasr al Tamtami scoring the seventh goal. Muscat responded with a precise finish from Saud al Hasani, set up by Al Maamoun al Hasani, before Saud added another to reduce the score to 7–3.
Al Ghazali struck again from the penalty line, but Muscat hit back through Al Maamoun al Hasani. Seeb, however, held their lead, closing the half ahead 13–9 after both teams exchanged goals in the final minutes.
MUSCAT’S COME BACK IN THE SECOND HALF
Muscat entered the second half with greater confidence as Said al Hasani scored early, but Sultan al Balushi quickly replied for Seeb. The game’s intensity rose further when Sultan al Balushi was sent off in the fourth minute for a strong challenge on Said al Hasani, allowing Muscat to exploit the numerical advantage and close the gap to 15–13.
Al Ghazali restored Seeb’s three-goal lead from another penalty, but repeated protests from the Muscat bench halted play briefly, ending with the dismissal of a team official. Shortly after, Azhar al Hadidi successfully converted from the penalty spot to level the score at 16–16, reviving Muscat’s hopes.
The teams traded goals again as Mohannad al Zarafi put Seeb back in front after a clever assist from Nasr al Tamtami. Muscat responded immediately to equalise and then turned the score around in the decisive moments, leading 20–18 before extending the advantage to three goals during a fierce final battle. Despite Seeb’s late attempts to reduce the gap, the referee’s whistle confirmed Muscat’s dramatic 23–21 victory.
This year’s final carries a special flavour, as Oman and Muscat are tied with two Super Cup titles each. Oman were crowned champions in the 2017–2018 season, with Muscat finishing as runners-up. Muscat then took the throne in the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 seasons, while Oman placed second both times. After a year-long suspension of the competition, the Super Cup returned last season (2024–2025), with Oman lifting the trophy and Seeb finishing runners-up.
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