Muscat: Seeb Club won the Super Cup in hockey after defeating Ahli Sidab Club 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out. The match took place at the Oman Hockey Stadium in Al Amerat, under the auspices of Dr Salem al Araimi, President of the Oman University Sports Committee.
The match began with Seeb dominating, as their players managed to reach Ahli Sidab’s goal and created several dangerous opportunities. The most notable was a powerful shot from outside the box by Mohammed al Lawati, but Ahli Sidab's goalkeeper was up to the challenge. In contrast, Ahli Sidab relied on defensive retreats and counter-attacks. In one of those fast counter-attacks, Ahli Sidab's Al Qasmi got a dangerous chance that almost resulted in a goal, but the first quarter ended in a goalless draw.
At the start of the second quarter, Seeb continued their offensive pressure, and Mohammed al Lawati scored the opening goal from a free hit in the 18th minute. After the goal, Ahli Sidab responded with pressure on Seeb’s goal, attempting to equalise, and they succeeded in scoring, but the referee disallowed the goal. They didn’t delay in applying pressure again and earned a free hit, from which Ammar al Shuaibi scored the equalising goal in the 25th minute, making the score 1-1.
Ahli Sidab continued their pressure, posing a threat to Seeb’s goal, which caused Seeb's defence to make errors that nearly gave Ahli Sidab the lead. As both teams exchanged chances, the second quarter ended with a 1-1 draw.
In the third quarter, Seeb players dominated possession and created dangerous attacks, but they couldn’t convert them into goals. On the other side, Ahli Sidab capitalised on a counter-attack in the 34th minute, where Aseel al Maini scored the go-ahead goal. Afterwards, Ahli Sidab continued their pressure and scored the third goal through Rashid al Fazari in the 38th minute. Seeb tried to press afterwards, but they couldn’t threaten Ahli Sidab’s goal, and the third quarter ended with Ahli Sidab leading 3-1.
Seeb entered the final quarter with great determination to stage a comeback, increasing the pace of the game with high pressure on Ahli Sidab's defence. In the 48th minute, Seeb reduced the deficit after being awarded a free hit, which was once again expertly executed by Mohammed al Lawati with a stunning shot into the net, bringing the score to 3-2.
The pressure on Ahli Sidab intensified, forcing them to retreat to their defensive zones, while Seeb continued their attack and created several dangerous opportunities. In the 53rd minute, Seeb came close to equalising, but the goalkeeper made a brilliant save. As the match neared its end, in the 58th minute, Huzaifa al Balushi scored the equalising goal with a powerful shot from inside the box after a brilliant pass from his teammate, making the score 3-3. Ahli Sidab tried to regain control, but Seeb successfully held on to the draw until the end of regular time, leading to a penalty shootout, where Seeb won the match with a score of 4-3.
Photos by: Abdulwahid al Hamadani
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