Al Nahda, Olympic team win openers in 2025 Khareef Tournament
The 2025 Khareef Club Tournament, organised by the Oman Football Association, kicked off at the Al Saada Sports Complex Stadium on Sunday, featuring five clubs along with the Oman Olympic team, divided into two groups. Group A includes Dhofar, Al Nahda and Al Shabab, while Group B consists of Al Nasr, Seeb and the Olympic team. The tournament will run until August 3.
The opening round witnessed two intense matches. The first brought together Dhofar and Al Nahda in Group A, where Al Nahda secured a 2-1 victory. The match started with high intensity from Al Nahda, who applied constant pressure through the midfield and flanks. In the 13th minute, Mohammed al Ghafri received a precise pass and fired a strong shot past goalkeeper Mazin al Kasbi to give Al Nahda the lead. Just two minutes later, Azzan al Tamtemi appeared to double the score with a powerful strike, but the goal was overturned after the referee reviewed the play on VAR and ruled it offside.
Dhofar gradually gained more control of the ball and managed to equalise in the 40th minute when Fahd al Hajri broke through Al Nahda's defence, went on one with goalkeeper Faiz al Rashidi, and slotted the ball into the net, ending the first half 1-1.
In the second half, Al Nahda regained momentum with organised possession and bold attacking moves. In the 60th minute, they were awarded a penalty after a strong challenge from a Dhofar defender. The decision was confirmed by VAR, and Ahmed al Kaabi converted from the spot with a well placed shot to the left of Mazin al Kasbi, restoring Al Nahda's lead. In the closing minutes, both coaches made tactical substitutions, with play mostly concentrated in midfield. Dhofar made some late attempts to equalise, but Al Nahda held firm until the final whistle to claim their first win of the tournament with a 2-1 scoreline.
In the second match of the Khareef Championship, the Olympic team earned a deserved 2-0 victory over Al Nasr. The match began with pressure from both sides, and Al Nasr nearly opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Awad al Shahri launched a swift counter attack, but goalkeeper Ibrahim al Kindi made an excellent save. In the 24th minute, the Olympic team responded with a well-organised play that ended with Masoud al Bahri firing a powerful shot into the net, putting the Olympic team ahead.
Al Nasr pushed for an equaliser, with their best chance coming in the 29th minute when Al Mutasim al Noubi's shot went narrowly wide. Another opportunity came before half-time through Jassim al Noubi, but the Olympic defence intervened at the last moment, ending the first half with the Olympic team leading 1-0.
The second half saw both teams maintain the same line-ups and continue exchanging attacks. The Olympic team doubled their lead in the 70th minute through substitute Yasar al Balushi, who unleashed a superb strike into the net. Al Nasr tried to reduce the deficit in the closing stages, but the Olympic defence handled the pressure well, sealing a 2-0 win.
The tournament continues on Tuesday with two key matches: Al Shabab versus Dhofar at 5 pm, and Seeb versus Al Nasr at 8:30 pm. Al Shabab, led by national coach Hassan Rustam, will aim to maintain their positive momentum after winning the Super Cup, while Dhofar, under Musbah al Saadi, seeks to recover from their opening loss. The Seeb-Al Nasr clash is expected to be closely fought, with Seeb looking to bounce back from their Super Cup defeat, and Al Nasr hoping to improve after their loss to the Olympic team.
The tournament will proceed as scheduled, with the second round on July 29 and the third round on July 31. The competition will conclude on August 3 with the final match between the group leaders to determine the Khareef Club Championship winner.
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