His Majesty’s Cup football enters the final stretch

Muscat: The coveted His Majesty’s Cup Football Championship has entered its decisive phase, with the first leg of the quarterfinals now complete.

Eight teams – holders Dhofar, Al Nasr, Al Seeb, Al Nahda, Ibri, Al Shabab, Sohar, and Saham - are battling for the coveted title, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the 2024–2025 season.

The second leg of the quarterfinals, scheduled for January 28 and 29, promises to be equally riveting as teams vie for a place in the semifinals.

The tournament will then progress to the double-legged semifinals in February, culminating in the grand finale on February 20 at Ibra Sports Complex in North Al Sharqiyah Governorate.

Assigned by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Sheikh Al Fadhl bin Mohammed Al Harthy, Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, will preside over the final and crown the champion of the season.

In the first leg of the quarterfinals last week, the competition delivered a series of thrilling encounters. Former winners Al Nahda secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over two-time champions Saham, with Ahmed al Kaabi scoring a dramatic header in the 95th minute, breaking a deadlock that had seemed inevitable.

Earlier, Saham’s goalkeeper Hassan al Buraiki had made an incredible penalty save to keep his team in the game, but the late goal gave Al Nahda a vital advantage ahead of the second leg.

Meanwhile, Al Shabab edged Sohar 1-0, thanks to a well-taken goal from Jouleson in the 15th minute. The match, held at Al Rustaq Sports Complex, saw Sohar pushing for an equaliser but failing to breach the solid defence of Al Shabab.

Four-time champions Seeb delivered a dominant 3-0 victory over Ibri at Seeb Sports Stadium. Despite a missed penalty in the first half, Seeb broke the deadlock in the 60th minute through Abdulrahman al Mushaifri, with two more goals following shortly after, one from Zahir al Aghbari and another from Al Mushaifri, leaving Seeb in a commanding position heading into the second leg.

In the final match of the first leg, five-time winners Al Nasr secured a stunning 1-0 win over defending champions Dhofar at Al Saada Sports Complex in Salalah.

The match was evenly contested, but a 60th-minute strike from Mulhim al Sunaidi, exploiting a defensive error, gave Al Nasr the edge. Dhofar will look to overturn this narrow deficit in the return leg as they aim for 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.