Jindal League round 19 opens with wins for Al Nasr, Bahla and Dhofar

MUSCAT: Round 19 of the Jindal League got underway on Saturday evening with a series of results that added fresh intrigue to the race across the table. Bahla continued their strong run with an emphatic victory over Al Shabab, Al Nasr produced an impressive attacking display against Ibri, while Dhofar edged past Saham in a closely fought encounter.

BAHLA THUMP AL SHABAB 4-1

Bahla maintained their positive momentum with a convincing 4-1 victory over Al Shabab at Seeb Stadium, underlining their determination to remain in contention during the closing stages of the season.

The breakthrough came in the 15th minute when Luki Vekemee finished off a low cross from Faisal to give Bahla the lead. That goal separated the two sides at the break, with Bahla taking a 1-0 advantage into half-time.

Al Shabab responded well early in the second half and restored parity in the 51st minute, when Hatem al Rushdi delivered a cross that was turned into the net by Maliko Kinyan.

The match, however, shifted decisively in Bahla’s favour shortly afterwards when Al Shabab’s Mahmood Mubarak was sent off after receiving his second yellow card. Bahla made full use of the numerical advantage, with Majid al Shukaili putting his side back in front in the 68th minute. Abdulsalam al Shukaili then extended the lead with a third goal in the 71st minute before completing the scoring with his second and Bahla’s fourth deep into stoppage time.

The result lifted Bahla to 31 points in fifth place, while Al Shabab slipped to third on 41 points.

Bahla players celebrate during their emphatic win over Al Shabab in the Jindal League.

AL NASR HIT FOUR PAST IBRI

At Nizwa Sports Complex, Al Nasr delivered one of the most entertaining performances of the round as they defeated hosts Ibri 4-2 in a lively contest marked by attacking quality.

Khalid al Sulaimi led the way with two goals for Al Nasr, while Abdullah al Musharafi and Awad al Shihri added the third and fourth to cap a strong offensive display.

Ibri attempted to fight their way back into the match through goals from Philip Akah and Bisan Jacques, but their efforts proved insufficient against Al Nasr’s sharpness in front of goal.

With the win, Al Nasr moved into second place on 42 points, continuing the pressure on leaders Al Seeb, who sit top with 45 points. Ibri, meanwhile, remained in the lower reaches of the standings in 13th place with 14 points.

DHOFAR SECURE NARROW VICTORY OVER SAHAM

In another round 19 fixture, Dhofar claimed an important 1-0 win over Saham at Al Saada Sports Complex, a match largely balanced and cautious in its approach.

The decisive moment came in the 40th minute when Sultan Badr found the net after a well-weighted through ball from Abdullah Zaher, giving Dhofar a valuable lead before the interval.

Despite Saham’s efforts to respond, Dhofar held firm to secure all three points from a contest that remained tight until the final whistle. The victory moved Dhofar up to eighth place on 21 points, level with Saham, who are ninth on goal difference.