MUSCAT: Dhofar secured a place in the quarterfinals of the His Majesty’s Cup football after edging past defending champions Al Shabab with a narrow 1–0 victory in their Round of 16 clash, held on Sunday evening at the Seeb Stadium.
Dhofar began the match brightly, applying early pressure that forced Al Shabab into a defensive posture during the opening minutes. However, from the 17th minute onwards, Al Shabab gradually grew into the contest, asserting control in midfield and enjoying greater possession.
Despite creating several clear cut scoring opportunities, the defending champions were unable to convert their chances and the first half ended in a goalless draw.
Al Shabab opened the second half with strong attacking intent, pushing forward in search of an early
breakthrough. Their ambitions were dealt a blow when a defensive error allowed Dhofar to
capitalise and forward Omar al Dahi seized the opportunity and calmly found the back of the net, scoring the decisive goal of the match.
Following the goal, the encounter became evenly balanced, with both sides trading possession and
chances. Al Shabab pressed in the closing stages in an attempt to force an equaliser, but Dhofar’s
disciplined defensive display ensured they held on to their slender advantage until the final whistle,
eliminating the holders and booking their place in the last eight.
SUR THROUGH
In another Round of 16 fixture played on the same day, Sur also advanced to the quarterfinals after
defeating Bahla 2–1 at the Nizwa Sports Complex.
Sur took the lead through Ayman Ibrahim, before Bahla responded with an equaliser from the penalty
spot, converted by Faisal al Balushi. The decisive moment came later in the match when Saud al Farsi restored Sur’s advantage with a well taken penalty, securing a hard fought victory for his side.
With these results, Dhofar and Sur join the list of teams progressing to the quarterfinal stage of the His
Majesty’s Cup, as the prestigious knockout competition continues to deliver surprises and high intensity encounters in its latter rounds.
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