Muscat: Seeb recorded a valuable 2–0 victory over their guests Bahla in the match held at Seeb Sports Stadium, part of the postponed fixtures of Round Five of the Jindal Football League.
The game began at a lively pace from both sides before Seeb took control of proceedings, applying sustained pressure on Bahla’s defensive areas, while the visitors relied on defensive organisation and closing down spaces. Bahla nearly opened the scoring early through Abdul Salam al Shukaili, but goalkeeper Ahmed al Rawahi reacted calmly and diverted the ball for a corner.
Seeb responded with a well-constructed attack that ended with Ali al Busaidy threading a precise pass to Salah al Yahyai, who calmly placed the ball into the net to score the opening goal in the 17th minute. Seeb maintained their dominance, while Bahla attempted to threaten on the counter-attack, most notably through a powerful effort by Abdulsalam al Shukaili that narrowly cleared the crossbar.
In the 36th minute, the referee awarded Seeb a penalty after a handball inside the area. Abdulaziz al Muqbali stepped up to take it, but his effort sailed over the bar. Minutes later, however, Al Muqbali made amends by following up a well-delivered cross from Omar al Malki to score the second goal in the 43rd minute. No further incidents occurred during stoppage time, and the first half ended with Seeb leading 2–0.
At the start of the second half, Seeb continued with an attacking approach despite being forced into an early substitution as the injured Abdulaziz al Muqbali was replaced by Marwan Taib. Bahla, meanwhile, dropped deeper into their own half and focused on counter-attacks.
Both teams exchanged attempts without any change to the scoreline before the referee blew the final whistle to confirm Seeb’s 2–0 victory.
With this result, Seeb moved to the top of the standings with 22 points, while Bahla remained fourth with 15 points.
AL SHABAB THUMP AL NASR
In another postponed Round Five fixture, Al Shabab claimed a 3–0 victory over their guests Al Nasr at the Seeb Sports Stadium.
Al Nasr started the match with early pressure, but Al Shabab’s solid defensive organisation and the excellent performance of goalkeeper Abdulmalik al Badri prevented any breakthrough. As the match progressed, Al Shabab gradually regained control. The first half saw chances at both ends, including a Maliko Kenian effort in the 20th minute that went just wide, and an attempt by Awadh al Shuhri in the 22nd minute that was safely gathered by Al Shabab’s goalkeeper. In the 28th minute, Geulson Lima capitalised on a defensive mistake to score the opening goal for Al Shabab, sending his side into the break with a 1–0 lead.
In the second half, Al Shabab continued to enjoy the upper hand, while Al Nasr searched for an equaliser. Both coaches made several substitutions in an effort to influence the game. Maliko Kenian doubled Al Shabab’s advantage in the 66th minute after finishing a rebound inside the penalty area. Minutes later, Al Shabab goalkeeper Abdulmalik al Badri was forced off injured, with international goalkeeper Ibrahim al Mukhaini coming on in the 69th minute.
Before the final whistle, Maliko Kenian struck again in the 74th minute to seal the win and confirm Al Shabab’s dominance. Six minutes of stoppage time were added without further goals, and the match ended with a convincing 3–0 victory for Al Shabab.
The win lifted Al Shabab to 15 points and up to fifth place, with a postponed match still to be played against Bahla. Al Nasr remained on 16 points in third place after suffering their second defeat of the season.
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