Muscat: The prestigious His Majesty’s Cup Football Championship has reached a critical juncture, with the first leg of the quarterfinals now concluded.
Eight teams – defending champions Dhofar, Al Nasr, Al Seeb, Al Nahda, Ibri, Al Shabab, Sohar, and Saham – are competing fiercely for the esteemed title, setting the stage for an exhilarating finish to the 2024–2025 season.
The second leg of the quarterfinals, set for January 28 and 29, is anticipated to be just as thrilling as teams strive for a spot in the semifinals.
Following this, the tournament will advance to the double-legged semifinals in February, culminating in the grand finale on February 20 at the Ibra Sports Complex in North Al Sharqiyah Governorate.
Under the direction of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Sheikh Al Fadhl bin Mohammed Al Harthy, Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, will oversee the final and present the championship trophy to the season's victor.
In the first leg of the quarterfinals last week, the matches showcased a series of exhilarating moments. Former champions Al Nahda achieved a narrow 1-0 victory over two-time titleholders Saham, with Ahmed al Kaabi scoring a dramatic header in the 95th minute, breaking a stalemate that had appeared inevitable.
Earlier in the match, Saham’s goalkeeper Hassan al Buraiki made a remarkable penalty save to keep his team in contention, but the late goal provided Al Nahda with a crucial advantage heading into the second leg.
Al Shabab narrowly defeated Sohar 1-0, with Jouleson scoring a well-executed goal in the 15th minute. The match took place at Al Rustaq Sports Complex, where Sohar made several attempts to equalize but could not penetrate Al Shabab's robust defense.
In another match, four-time champions Seeb showcased their strength with a convincing 3-0 win against Ibri at Seeb Sports Stadium. Although they missed a penalty in the first half, Seeb found the net in the 60th minute through Abdulrahman al Mushaifri, followed by two additional goals from Zahir al Aghbari and another from al Mushaifri, positioning Seeb favorably for the second leg.
In the final first-leg match, five-time champions Al Nasr achieved a remarkable 1-0 victory over the defending champions Dhofar at Al Saada Sports Complex in Salalah. The match was closely contested, but a goal from Mulhim al Sunaidi in the 60th minute, capitalizing on a defensive mistake, provided Al Nasr with the crucial advantage. Dhofar will aim to reverse this slight deficit in the upcoming return leg as they pursue a record 12th title.
Quarter-final results (first leg): Al Nahda 1 Saham 0, Al Shabab 1 Sohar 0, Seeb 3 Ibri 0, Al Nasr 1 Dhofar 0.
