AHMED AL KAABI
MUSCAT, FEB 24
Al Nahda and Oman dropped crucial points in their title race at the Omantel League after Al Nahda were held to a goalless draw by Al Shabab, while Oman Club played out a similar stalemate with Sohar in the round 12 of top tier league which concluded on Friday. The only win of the day registered by Al Rustaq after they blanked Sur 2-1 to earn an essential victory under the guidance of their new national experienced coach, Sultan al Touqi.
Al Buraimi based team and Al Shabab ended their game at a goalless draw at the Al Buraimi Sports Complex. The result put Al Nahda in second place on 23 points, while Al Shabab remained in ninth on 11 points.
Al Rustaq claimed a 2-1 victory over Sur in the second match of the day at the Al Rustaq Sports Complex. Festus Abdul and Mohammed Al Ghafri scored the goals for Al Rustaq, with Robert Jansa pulling one back for Sur. The win took Al Rustaq up to eighth place on 14 points, while Sur dropped to tenth on 10 points.
The final match of the day was between Oman Club and Sohar which ended at a goalless draw at Seeb Stadium. Oman Club started the first half brighter and created a number of chances in the opening of ten minutes but they were unable to find the back of the net. On the other hand, Sohar players had a goal ruled out for offside in the 13th minute, but they otherwise struggled to create clear-cut chances.
In the deciding half, Sohar players entered with pressing hard and creating better chances. De Stefano almost put Sohar ahead in the 48th minute with a powerful shot that was saved by Oman Club goalkeeper Abdulaziz Al Hosni. Few minutes later, Daniel Etor came close with a dangerous header that went just wide. Oman Club failed to create any clear-cut chances in the second half, and the match ended in a goalless draw.
The result took Sohar in fifth place on 19 points, while Oman Club stayed in third on 23 points equal to Al Nahda. A win over Sohar would have seen Oman Club taking sole possession of second place for the first time, but the draw kept both teams’ level on points with Al Nahda ahead on goal difference.
Seeb leading the table order by 29 points from eleven games without a single loss. They are followed by Al Nahda on 23 points from the same number of matches and also unbeaten. Oman Club are third on the same points as Al Nahda, with Al Nasr fourth on 21 points.
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