Dhofar edge Seeb, Al Shababwin in HM Cup

MUSCAT, Nov 9 - First Division clubs Sur, Ibri and Al Shabab secured their slots to the quarterfinal of His Majesty’s Cup. Sur edged favourites Fanja 3-1 at Seeb Stadium while Ibri registered a 2-0 win over Bahla and Al Shabab outplayed Al Rustaq 2-1. Meanwhile, Salalah giants Dhofar edged out a fighting Seeb 1-0 in the top clash of the last 16 round of His Majesty’s Cup to book a spot in the quarterfinal of the prestigious competitions at the Salalah Sports Complex, late on Friday. Three-time winner Seeb suffered a lot in the match as Younis al Mushaferi received a red card in the first half in the 18th minute. Despite being limited to 10 players, Seeb finished the first half without conceding any goal. After an hour of the match, the Spain player Hugo Lopez netted the first goal for the hosts. After this crucial victory, eight-time champions Dhofar will look to claim their ninth title and equal Fanja’s record especially since they have already been knocked out in this edition. AL SHABAB IN QUARTERS Al Shabab snatched a 2-1 win over Al Rustaq to book a slot in the quarterfinal. The regulation time ended in a 1-1 while Thani al Rusahdi scored an own goal in the second half of the extra time which allow Al Shabab to advance directly to the next round. Five-time winner of HM Cup, Al Nasr surprised Saham with a 4-3 win in penalty shootouts after a 1-1 draw in the regulation time. Saham did not benefit from their fans support as the match was held in Sohar Sports Complex. Despite Saham taking a lead in the match through Mohammed Bala after he netted the opening goal, Al Nasr’s Elister struck the equaliser. In the penalty shootouts, Al Nasr managed to register the win 4-3 and wove into the quarterfinal. Oman Club outplayed Nizwa 2-1 at ROP stadium in Al Wattayah. Mohammed al Alawi and Mohammed al Adawi scored for the hosts while Mohammed al Battashi netted for the guests. In the other matches of the round, Al Nahdha beat Al Suwaiq 3-2 to advance into the quarterfinal round while Al Oruba defeated Al Khabourah 2-1 to earn a slot in the same round. The draw of the quarterfinal round of the prestigious championship will take place before the end of this week. The first leg of the final eight matches will be held on December 7 and 8 while the second leg matches will take place on December 24 and 25.