MUSCAT: Al Nasr team secured their place in the quarterfinals of the Sultan Cup after defeating Nizwa 3-0 on Saturday in a match held at the Al Saada Sports Complex. The first half fell short of expectations, as Al Nasr players delivered an average performance.
The first notable chance for Al Nasr came when Fahad Adel fired a shot that missed the target. Both teams exchanged attacks, with Nizwa having a slight edge through counterattacks, but they failed to pose any real threat to Al Nasr’s goalkeeper.
In the 38th minute, Marwan Taib squandered a golden opportunity for Al Nasr with a shot that went wide of the goal. A similar scenario unfolded in the 42nd minute when Marwan's free kick went over the crossbar, leaving the first half to end in a goalless draw.
The second half saw an improvement in Al Nasr's performance as they launched intensive attacks. In the 48th minute, Waleed al Musallami missed a golden opportunity when he went one on one with Nizwa's goalkeeper Salim al Jabri, who made a brilliant save. Nizwa responded with a dangerous chance in the 54th minute, as Syed Mustafa executed a spectacular overhead kick that narrowly missed the goal.
Al Nasr broke the deadlock in the 66th minute through an own goal by a Nizwa defender. The pressure continued, and in the 74th minute, Waleed al Musallami came close to doubling the lead, but his header missed the post.
In the 75th minute, Waleed al Musallami successfully scored the second goal for Al Nasr after a superb pass from Mulham al Sunaidy, which he finished elegantly into Al Jabri's net. Al Nasr wasn't done yet; in the 80th minute, Waleed added a third goal in style, capitalising on a long ball that he intercepted from a Nizwa defender before chipping it over the goalkeeper into the net. The match concluded with Al Nasr securing a commanding 3-0 victory and advancing to the quarterfinals.
Saham clinches narrow victory over Ahli Sidab
Saham secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ahli Sidab to book their place in the quarterfinals of the Sultan Cup. The match took place at the Sohar Sports Complex. The first half was marked by relative control from Saham, who displayed better discipline and organisation, effectively neutralising Ahli Sidab’s threats.
Early in the 5th minute, Marwan al Ghafri missed a promising opportunity with a shot that failed to find the net. On the other side, Saham’s goalkeeper Hassan al Buraiki made a crucial save in the 12th minute against a dangerous attempt by Omar Ndonj.
Saham capitalised on one of their offensive moves in the 26th minute, with Abdullah al Muraikhi delivering a cross to Ali al Hashmi, who scored the match's only goal with a brilliant header past Ahli Sidab’s goalkeeper Ammar al Khamisi. Despite attempts by Ahli Sidab to level the score, including a shot by Mohammed Diallo that deflected off a Saham defender, the first half ended with Saham leading 1-0.
The second half was fast-paced and exciting, with Saham’s coach making changes to boost the team’s performance. Substitute Salim Habib missed a golden chance to extend the lead in the 53rd minute.
Meanwhile, Ahli Sidab intensified their attacks in search of an equaliser but faced a solid defence and stellar saves by goalkeeper Hassan al Buraiki, including a critical stop in the 58th minute. Despite both teams' efforts, the score remained unchanged until the final whistle, with Saham securing a 1- 0 victory and advancing to the quarterfinals.
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