Friday 22 / November / 2024
Muscat: Al Nahda's drought of a maiden His Majesty's Cup football title finally ended on Thursday evening when the Buraimi side dethroned defending champions Seeb 1-0 in the final of Oman's most prestigious championships at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.
The all-important goal was scored in the 20th minute of the match when Al Nahda's foreign recruit Inter Guys converted a spot kick.
For Al Nahda, the victory ended their disappointment of losing in three summit clashes. Coached by Hamed al Azani, the team in green managed to stave off a determined challenge by four-time champions Seeb.
The Muscat-based club's bid to become only the second domestic club in the 21st century to have successfully defended the title was thwarted by Al Nahda in an exciting match watched by a capacity crowd at the stadium.
Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi was the chief guest and gave away the trophy in the presence of His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth.
Al Nahda got their first title after they lost to Al Suwaiq in 2008-09 and in 2012-13 and then to Fanja in 2013-14 for two back-to-back defeats in the final.
The current Omantel top-flight league leaders will now aim for a domestic double as they are in pole position after 17 rounds.
Earlier in the semi-finals, Seeb had edged past Al Suwaiq in the double-leg semi-finals with a 3-0 scoreline while Al Nahda progressed into the final after defeating Al Rustaq 1-0 on aggregate in the other semi-final.
