MUSCAT: Al Nahda and defending champions Sohar opened their Sohar International Cup campaigns with victories, while Seeb and Al Shabab shared the points as the first round of Group 2 concluded on Wednesday.
Al Nahda registered the biggest victory of the group, defeating Al Musannah 3-1 to collect their first three points and move to the top of the standings on goal difference.
The Al Buraimi side delivered an encouraging opening performance as they began their pursuit of another domestic title. The three-goal display also gave Al Nahda an early advantage in a group expected to witness a close battle for the two semifinal places.
Sohar also made a positive start to their title defence after recording a 2-1 victory over Saham. The defending champions secured all three points from a competitive encounter to move into second place, one goal behind Al Nahda on goal difference.
The victory provided Sohar with an important early boost as they seek to build on last season’s achievement, when they captured their first title in the competition.
GOALLESS DRAW
Meanwhile, Seeb and Al Shabab played out a goalless draw in the other Group 2 fixture. Both sides created opportunities but were unable to find the decisive touch, eventually settling for one point each from their opening match.
Following the first-round results, Al Nahda lead Group 2 with three points and a goal difference of plus two. Sohar occupy second place with three points and a goal difference of plus one.
Seeb and Al Shabab follow with one point each, while Saham and Al Musannah remain without points after their opening defeats. Ibri, who had a bye in the first round, are yet to begin their campaign.
The results have given Al Nahda and Sohar an early advantage, although the single round-robin format leaves little room for error as the seven clubs compete for the two available semifinal places.
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