

MUSCAT, OCT 20
Al Shabab and Al Nahda delivered the biggest victories of the fifth round of the 2026-27 Jindal League, both scoring five goals against Sohar and Sur respectively, as the round concluded with 24 goals across seven matches.
Al Shabab secured a commanding 5-0 away victory over Sohar, while Al Nahda defeated Sur 5-1 to move into second place in the standings. The results left Al Nasr leading the competition with a perfect 12 points from four matches, followed by Al Nahda on 10 points, with Al Shabab and Saham level on nine.
At Sohar Sports Complex, Al Shabab took control almost immediately when Khalid al Buraiki headed home a corner delivered by Hussein al Shahri in the opening minute.
The visitors maintained their attacking momentum, although Sohar created opportunities through Saud al Muqbali and Diop. Goalkeeper Majdi Shaaban, facing his former club, kept the hosts from finding an equaliser before the interval.
Sohar’s hopes of a comeback suffered a major setback in the 67th minute when Sami al Anabi was sent off following a VAR review for a challenge on Hussein al Shahri.
Al Shabab capitalised on their numerical advantage five minutes later as substitute Bebejin Willem headed in Al Shahri’s cross to double the lead.
The visitors then produced a remarkable finish, scoring three times deep into stoppage time. Juma al Habsi added the third in the 96th minute, Abdulrahman al Yaqoubi struck from outside the penalty area in the 99th, and Hussein Al Shahri completed the scoring with a late breakaway goal.
The defeat was Sohar’s second successive heavy loss, following their 4-1 setback against Al Musannah in the previous round.
AL NAHDA THRASH SUR
Meanwhile, Al Nahda recorded an emphatic 5-1 victory over Sur, with Karim Darwish scoring twice alongside goals from Mohammed Faraj, Jameel al Yahmadi and Djefana Ndorsen.
Abdullah al Mushaifri scored Sur’s consolation goal from the penalty spot, but the hosts were unable to prevent their fifth consecutive defeat.
The result took Al Nahda to 10 points, strengthening their position immediately behind leaders Al Nasr, while Sur remained bottom without a point after five matches.
AL MUGHANNI HITS HAT-TRICK
The fifth round also produced an impressive individual performance from Dhofar’s Abdullah bin Zahir al Mughanni, who scored a hat-trick in his side’s 3-2 victory over Ibri. Fanja’s Milhem al Hadhrami matched that achievement with three goals in a 3-1 win against Saham.
Across the seven fixtures, six ended in victories and one in a draw, with an average of 3.43 goals per match. The round also produced 27 yellow cards, two red cards and two penalty goals.
Al Shabab’s five-goal victory was the widest winning margin of the round, while Al Nahda’s match against Sur produced the highest combined goal tally.
Attention now turns to the sixth round, which begins on Friday, October 23, with clubs looking to build on their recent results as the early-season battle for positions continues.
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