MUSCAT: Al Amerat Club claimed the title of the 2024 First Division Hockey League with a decisive 5-0 victory over Salam Club. Al Ittihad secured third place after defeating Nizwa in the third-place play-off through a penalty shoot-out, winning 3-1. The matches were held at the Oman Hockey Stadium in Al Amerat.
The closing ceremony was held under the auspices of Mohsin bin Hani al Bahrani, CEO of Mohsin Haider Darwish. The league featured six teams divided into two groups: Group A included Nizwa, Al Ittihad and Qurayat, while Group B consisted of Al Nahda, Al Salam and Al Amerat. The league matches took place from October 17 to 22.
The final match witnessed intense competition between Al Amerat and Al Salam as both teams aimed to secure the title early. However, the first quarter ended in a 0-0 draw.
In the second quarter, Al Amerat's Younis al Noufli broke the deadlock with a penalty corner in the 22nd minute. Al Amerat continued to dominate, applying pressure while Al Salam failed to mount any significant threat. The second quarter ended 1-0 in favour of Al Amerat.
Al Amerat maintained their momentum in the third quarter, with Khadher al Noufli scoring the second goal in the 47th minute after a swift attack. The team displayed excellent ball movement and created multiple opportunities, extending their lead to 2-0 by the end of the quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Al Amerat dominated as Ahmed al Noufli scored the third goal in the 51st minute, followed by Elias al Noufli’s goal a minute later to make it 4-0. Ahmed al Noufli sealed the victory with his second goal from a penalty corner in the 57th minute ending the match 5-0.
Al Ittihad and Nizwa battled for third place in a closely contested match. The first quarter ended goalless as both teams focused on solid defence.
In the second quarter, Nizwa took the lead with Zakariya al Nabhani scoring from a penalty corner. However, Al Ittihad equalised in the 29th minute through Ishaq al Harmi, leaving the score at 1-1 at half-time.
The tie persisted through the third quarter, despite efforts from both sides to find the winning goal. Both teams played cautiously as fatigue set in, and the match ended in a draw, forcing a penalty shoot-out. Al Ittihad emerged victorious with a 3-1 shoot-out win, securing third place in the league.
Al Amerat's Ahmed al Noufli won the league’s top scorer award with 8 goals, while Al Ittihad's Hajis Khairallah won the best goalkeeper award. The best player award went to Nizwa's Majed al Saridi.
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