MUSCAT: Al Nahda Club bid farewell to the King Salman Club Championship after a goalless tie against Al Ahly Tripoli of Libya in the second leg of the second preliminary round of the competition.
The match took place at the Al Buraimi Sports Complex Stadium, showcasing an intense battle between the two teams.
Having lost the first leg with a score of 4-2 at the Benina Martyrs Stadium in Benghazi, Al Nahda faced an uphill challenge to qualify for the subsequent rounds of the tournament.
Ultimately, the Libyan club, Al Ahly Tripoli, emerged victorious and secured their place in the next stages of the competition.
Al Ahly Tripoli now joins the group comprising Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal, Qatar’s Al Sadd and Moroccan Wydad and the forthcoming matches of this group will be held in Saudi Arabia.
The encounter between Al Nahda and Al Ahly Tripoli began on a strong note, with both teams launching continuous attacks in pursuit of scoring opportunities. Al Nahda encountered difficulties in advancing towards Al Ahly Tripoli’s goal, with players losing focus and a series of erroneous passes impeding their progress. Consequently, they were unable to breach Al Ahly Tripoli’s defence, while the relentless offensive pressure from the Libyan club posed a constant challenge for Al Nahda goalkeeper Ibrahim al Mukhaini and his defence. Despite their efforts, Al Nahda’s attempts to find the net through several attacks led by Omar al Maliki were thwarted by the solid defences of Al Ahly Tripoli.
Entering the second half, Al Nahda displayed exceptional control over the match proceedings.
Their attackers created numerous perilous opportunities against Al Ahly Tripoli. However, luck was not on their side, and their endeavours failed to materialise into goals, resulting in a goalless draw between the two teams.
Al Nahda’s quest to overcome the Omani hurdle in the Arab Club Championship remained unfulfilled.
The participation of Omani clubs in this tournament over the past 35 years has not yielded positive outcomes, with the championship consistently eluding them in the preliminary rounds.
A noteworthy exception to this historical narrative is Fanja, who achieved fourth place in the sixth edition of the championship held in the UAE in 1988.
They also won the Gulf Clubs Championship in 1989.
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