Al Bashayer a win away from OBL shield

Muscat: The third round of the first phase of the Oman Basketball League (OBL) Finals 2025–26 takes place on Wednesday, featuring two crucial matches in a decisive evening that could reshape the title race and largely determine the final standings. Both games will be played at the Auxiliary Hall of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher.

The action begins at 6 pm with Nizwa facing Salalah in a must-win battle to escape the bottom and decide the fight for third place. Attention then shifts at 8 pm to the headline clash between Al Bashayer and Seeb, a showdown that could allow the league leaders to seal the championship early or keep the title race alive until the final round.

NIZWA TAKE ON SALALAH

Round 3 opens with a decisive encounter between Nizwa and Salalah after both teams suffered defeats against Al Bashayer and Seeb in the previous two rounds, leaving each side with one last opportunity to rescue their finals campaign.

Nizwa enter the match with eight points and hold a mathematical advantage that would allow them to secure third place with a victory, making this clash extremely important as they aim to end their season on a positive note. Head coach Hatem al Tijani is relying on a blend of experience and energy, led by Sami al Hashmi, Nikola Dakivos, Nasser Ambusaidi, Basel al Subhi, Kinglisy and Ibrahima Thomas, in a bid to control the tempo and dictate the game.

Nizwa enter the match with eight points and a win would secure them third place.

Salalah, meanwhile, are clinging to their final hopes. With seven points, a win would take them to nine and postpone the decision to the next round, keeping their third-place ambitions alive. Coached by national trainer Shaker al Balushi, the team is counting on a group of young, improving players such as Saeed Ahed, Bashar Bait Farid, Mazdan al Riyami, Ayman Mustahil and Ahmed al Jahwari, in what is expected to be a physical and tactically intense contest.

AL BASHAYER IN POLE POSITION

In the marquee match of the round, league leaders Al Bashayer face second-placed Seeb in a fixture that has all the qualities of an early final. Al Bashayer topped the standings with 12 points, just one ahead of Seeb, making this clash pivotal in the championship battle.

Al Bashayer are aiming to wrap up the title with a win, building on their victory over Seeb in the preliminary stage and their strong form under head coach Mahmoud Ambo Ali and his assistant Tamim al Riyami. The team boasts a powerful lineup of local and international stars, including Osama al Riyami, Mahmoud al Souli, Ahmed al Halhali, Bassam al Subhi, Noah al Mahrouqi and Ibrahima Thomas, as they push for early confirmation of the league shield.

Seeb, however, approach the game with a simple mission: win or fall out of the title race. Victory is their only route to keeping the championship alive and forcing a final-round showdown. Under head coach Iskandar al Nabulsi and assistant Raed al Hinai, Seeb will depend on the experience and attacking variety of players such as Ahmed al Maamari, Maroun al Hadidi, Jawad Adekyu, Mamadou Badji and Zakariya al Wahaibi, as they attempt to halt Al Bashayer’s momentum and keep the battle for the title going until the very end.