Al Ittihad, Nizwa, Bahla and Fanja advance

Muscat, OCT 24

The preliminary round matches of HM the Sultan’s Cup, held on Tuesday and Wednesday, featured exciting clashes that saw several teams advance to the next stages of the tournament.

Al Ittihad secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Bausher at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Tuesday. John Mensah scored the game’s only goal in the 11th minute, ensuring his team’s place in the Round of 16.

Nizwa progressed to the Round of 16 after defeating Al Talea 4-1 on penalties in an intense match at the Sur Sports Complex. The game ended 3-3 after regular and extra time.

For Al Talea, Hamid al Wahaibi scored twice in the 21st and 85th minutes, while Sami al Sabahi added another in the 91st minute. Nizwa responded with goals from Ziad al Maamari in the 60th minute, and Sayed Mustafa in the 93rd and 95th minutes. The penalty shoot-out decided the match in Nizwa’s favour.

Bahla advanced to the quarterfinals after a 4-2 win on penalties against Al Khabourah in a preliminary round match held on Wednesday at the Al Rustaq Sports Complex.

Bahla took an early lead with a goal by Hosni al Hinai in the 19th minute. Despite Al Khabourah’s efforts to equalise, the game remained close until Al Faraj al Kiyoumi scored the equaliser in the 88th minute, sending the match into extra time. With no further goals scored, Bahla triumphed in the penalty shoot-out, securing their place in the quarterfinals after a spirited contest.

Fanja earned a spot in the quarterfinals after a 1-0 victory over Al Wahda at the Sur Sports Complex.

Kwasi, a foreign professional player, netted the only goal in the 19th minute following an assist from Naseeb al Ghilani. Despite Al Wahda’s attempts to level the score, including a powerful shot from Aysar al Alawi that was brilliantly saved by Fanja goalkeeper Alaa al Hamdani, the match ended with Fanja securing a narrow win.

The HM Cup follows a knockout format from the preliminary rounds through the Round of 16, with single-elimination matches. In the quarterfinals and semifinals, the tournament adopts a two-leg format (home and away) to determine the advancing teams. The tournament concludes with a single-match final to crown the champion.