Al Nahda advance to HM Cup semifinals despite defeat to Sur

Al Nahda moved into the semifinals of the HM Cup 2019-20 semifinals despite a 2-0 defeat to Sur in the second leg of the quarterfinal in Sur on Wednesday. Al Nahda prevailed as aggregate 4-3 winners after a 4-1 win in the first leg at Al Buraimi Sports Complex on December 24. At Sur Sports Complex, Sur players registered a strong start in the early minutes of the first half as Ayman Ibrahim and Lasina Abulanar scored the goals for the winners. Al Nahda, who are seeking their first title, managed to keep the goal advantage to their side despite the pressure made by Sur. One more goal was enough for Sur to snatch the ticket to the next round but Al Nahda’s coach Mohsin Darwish al Balushi’s players didn’t allow further goals after conceding two. National team player Saad Suhail and Mohammed al Shiba safeguarded the defence while Ahmed al Kaabi missed many scoring attempts along with AbdulWas al Matri. On Tuesday, Ibri secured their spot in the semifinals for the first time after they blanked Al Shabab 2-0 in the second leg at Al Rustaq Sports Complex. The first leg match ended in a goalless draw. The Al Dhahirah Club, under watchful eyes of experienced coach Majeed al Nazwani, showed solid performance during the regulation time and the extra time which witnessed two goals of the team by Waleed al Matroushi and Deeop. Salalah giants Dhofar sealed their direct ticket to the semifinal stage after beating Oman Club 3-0 aggregate. In the first leg, Dhofar thrashed Oman Club 3-0 in Muscat. The second leg in Dhofar finished in a goalless draw. The draw of the semifinal of the HM Cup will be held on Thursday at the Oman Football Association premises. The function of the prestigious cup will begin at 13:00 pm.