MUSCAT: A last-minute goal powered Al Seeb to a valuable victory over Sur in the seventh round of the Omantel League at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher on Wednesday.
Mohsen al Ghassani scored the goal for Al Seeb from a follow-up after a corner kick, in the eighth minute of stoppage time for the second half (90+8).
Al Seeb, led by Brazilian coach Jorvan Vieira, strengthened their lead in the OL, raising their points to 19. Meanwhile, Sur's tally remained at nine points, placing them in the fifth position in the championship standings.
The end of the match witnessed an objection from Sur coach, Tunisian Abdelhaleem al Werimi, to the continuation of the game despite the end of injury time (6 minutes), which was added by the Omani international referee Ahmed al Kaf.
Sur coach's objections increased after the final whistle as Al Seeb scored the winning goal.
Following these events, Sur Club issued a statement on Wednesday evening expressing their strong dissatisfaction with the refereeing of Ahmed al Kaf, who officiated the match.
The statement included severe criticism of the referee's bias against Sur, and that this is not the first time the referee has made serious errors against the club, describing them as egregious and causing Sur to be deprived of their rights.
The statement also affirmed that the club management will promptly communicate with the chairman of Oman Football Association (OFA) and the head of the referee's committee to inform them of Sur's refusal to assign any match in which Al Kaf is involved.
OMAN CLUB HOLD AL NAHDA
In a closely contested match, Al Nahda and Oman Club ended in a 1-1 draw at Al Buraimi Sports Complex.
The first half saw a balanced performance from both teams, with Al Nahda pressing through the wings and long balls, and Oman employing a defensive strategy and attempts to penetrate from depth to reach Al Nahda's goal. The danger of Al Nahda increased over time, as they began to press Oman from all angles, exploiting the retreat of Oman Club players. Al Nahda managed to earn several corner kicks, but Oman's defence effectively repelled them and cleared the dangerous balls. The first half ended in a goalless draw between the two teams.
The second half started strongly for Al Nahda, and they managed to take the lead in the 49th minute through Salah al Yahyai. After that, Al Nahda's Ahmed al Matroushi received a red card after receiving two yellow cards in the 68th minute, reducing their number of players.
Oman Club took advantage of this numerical advantage and managed to equalise through professional player Charlemagne in the 73rd minute from a direct free kick.
In the last minutes of the match, there were mutual opportunities for both teams, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
After the draw, Al Nahda remained in second place in the standings with 15 points, missing the chance to catch up with leaders Al Seeb (19 points). Oman Club's tally rose to 13 points, securing the fourth position.
Of notable mention, Salah al Yahyai played a pivotal role in Al Nahda's performance this season, contributing to the team's unbeaten record over seven rounds. Essam al Sabahi, another player from Al Nahda, leads the league's top scorers with a tally of four goals.
AL NASR HOLD AL RUSTAQ
Al Nasr tied with Al Rustaq 0-0 at Al Rustaq Stadium on Wednesday.
The draw put Al Nasr in 10th spot with six points, while Al Rustaq are ninth with seven points.
Al Rustaq continued their series of draws in opposite results to their performance last season, where they finished fifth and were strong contenders for the top three positions until the last rounds.
Al Rustaq drew in four out of seven matches, lost two matches, and won only one match. As for Al Nasr, they only tasted victory in one match, lost 3 matches, and drew the same number.
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