Latest news with #LaithalNabhani
Observer
7 days ago
- Sport
- Observer
Al Ittihad edge Seeb, Ahli Sidab draw Masirah in 3rd round of Hockey League
MUSCAT, AUG 10 Al Ittihad secured a valuable 2-1 victory over Seeb in their match at the Oman Hockey Stadium in Al Amerat, as part of the third round of the final stages of the U-18 Hockey League. The match began at a balanced pace in the first quarter, with Abdullah bin Salem standing out for Al Ittihad through several attacking attempts, while Seeb's most notable chance came from Al Yazan al Balushi. The first quarter ended goalless. In the second quarter, Al Ittihad asserted their dominance, controlling the flow of play. Seeb had a few attempts to score but were unable to convert. In the 29th minute, Al Ittihad was awarded a penalty corner, which Yassin Medhat Mohammed converted to give his side the lead. The quarter ended with Al Ittihad ahead 1-0. The third quarter saw Seeb repeatedly try to equalise, the closest being a shot from Laith al Nabhani that went just wide of the right post. However, Al Ittihad capitalised on a quick counterattack, earning a second penalty corner. Once again, Yassin Medhat found the net in the 39th minute, doubling the lead to 2-0. Early in the final quarter, Laith al Nabhani gave Seeb hope by scoring to make it 2-1. The game intensified in the closing minutes as Seeb pressed hard for an equaliser, but Al Ittihad's defence and goalkeeper held firm to seal an important win. Ahli Sidab and Masirah played out a dramatic 2-2 draw The first quarter began at a fast pace with both sides exchanging attacks. Ahli Sidab's danger came mainly through Saad al Fazari and Maytham al Wahaibi, while Masirah's most threatening moves were led by Al Qasim al Shaidi and Fadhl al Noufali. Both defences and goalkeepers were solid, keeping the score 0-0 at the end of the quarter. In the second quarter, Ahli Sidab took clear control of possession and limited Masirah's attacks. In the 21st minute, Saad al Fazari converted his team's dominance into the opening goal with a smart finish inside the circle. Masirah tried to level the score through counterattacks, but the half ended with Ahli Sidab leading 1-0. The third quarter saw Masirah's coach, Ahmed al Noufali, implement a tactical shift that quickly paid off. His side earned a penalty corner in the 32nd minute, which Fadhl al Noufali converted to equalise. Masirah maintained their pressure, and just two minutes later, Khazraj bin Sbeit al Mashrafi scored to put them ahead 2-1 at the end of the quarter. In the final quarter, Ahli Sidab pushed forward relentlessly for an equaliser, while Masirah defended with determination. In the dying seconds, Masirah's defence committed a foul that led to a penalty corner. Maytham al Wahaibi executed it perfectly to secure a late equaliser, ending the match 2-2 in a dramatic fashion that kept both teams in contention for the title. At the end of the third round, Al Ittihad topped the standings with 6 points, followed by Ahli Sidab in second place with 5 points, Masirah in third with 4 points, and Seeb in fourth with 1 point. Based on these results, the first semi-final will see Al Ittihad face Seeb, while the second semi-final will feature a strong clash between Ahli Sidab and Masirah, with both matches deciding the finalists for the championship.
Observer
04-08-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Seeb thrash Al Nahda to secure spot in league finals
MUSCAT: Seeb confirmed their qualification to the Junior Hockey League Finals after a resounding 7–2 victory over Al Nahda in the decisive play-off match held at the hockey field in Sohar Sports Complex, clinching the fourth and final ticket to the finals. Seeb entered the match with early attacking pressure and opened the scoring in the seventh minute through Laith al Nabhani after a series of precise passes. The first quarter ended with Seeb leading 1–0 despite Al Nahda's attempts to equalise. In the second quarter, Seeb continued their attacking surge, as Hussein al Balushi capitalised on a quick counter-attack to net the second goal in the 16th minute. Despite Al Nahda's efforts to absorb Seeb's pressure and find a goal to reduce the deficit, Seeb exploited the disorganisation in Al Nahda's ranks. Hussein al Balushi struck again before the end of the quarter to score the third goal, ending the period with Seeb comfortably ahead 3–0 in a well-organised team display. At the start of the third quarter, Al Nahda adopted an aggressive approach in hopes of a comeback, pressing Seeb's defence which retreated to protect their lead. However, Walid al Raisi took advantage of Al Nahda's forward push, scoring Seeb's fourth goal in the 35th minute from a swift counter-attack. Al Nahda refused to give up, as Ayham al Araimi pulled one back, followed by Mansour al Alawi, who added a second, ending the quarter at 4–2 and restoring some hope for his team. In the final quarter, Seeb sealed the result early. Yazen al Balushi extended the lead with the fifth goal, and Mohannad al Balushi joined the scoring spree with the sixth. Mohannad then struck again from a perfectly executed penalty corner to make it 7–2, giving Seeb a well-deserved victory and a place in the finals. The Seeb team squad. Qualified Teams for the Finals The line-up for the 2025 Junior Hockey League Finals is now complete: Ahli Sidab from Group One, Masirah from Group Two, Al Ittihad from Group Three, and Seeb. The finals will be played in a single round-robin format, with each team facing the others. After the completion of the round, the first-place team will face the fourth-place team in one semifinal, while the second-place team will face the third-place team in the other semifinal. The winners will advance to the final to determine the champion and runner-up, while the losing teams will play for third place. This season's finals look evenly matched in terms of technical level, as each team has players capable of turning games around. Ahli Sidab enter the finals with the advantage of experienced players and an unbeaten record, having won all their matches and scored 24 goals without conceding. Masirah rely on cohesion and attacking speed, also winning all their matches, scoring 23 goals and conceding just one. Al Ittihad's strength lies in their solid defence, winning one match and drawing another, scoring four goals and conceding one. Meanwhile, Seeb aim to continue their upward trajectory shown in the qualifiers, despite losing two matches and winning three, scoring 20 goals and conceding six. The finals are expected to be fiercely competitive, likely decided by small details in the matches.
