Friday 20 / September / 2024
Muscat: Holders Seeb routed nine-man Al Suwaiq 3-0 in the second-leg of the semi-final match of the 2022-23 His Majesty's Cup Football Championship at the Rustaq Sports Complex on Sunday to set up a summit clash with Al Nahda.
Seeb advanced on a 3-0 aggregate score after the first leg ended in a goalless draw. The final will be played at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on March 9.
Earlier, on Saturday, Al Nahda edged past Rustaq 1-0 in the second leg to reach their fourth final.
The first leg, played on February 20, had ended in a goalless draw. Sami al Hassani got the winner for Al Nahda in the extra-time of the match after the regulation time ended 0-0.
On Sunday, Suwaiq were reduced to ten men in the 23rd minute when Ismail Kuwako was sent off.
Seeb capitalised on the numerical advantage and experienced forward Abdulaziz al Miqbali got the breakthrough in added time of first half.
Ali al Busaidi made it 2-0 in the 62nd minute to take the game away from three-time champions Suwaiq and the Batinah side was reduced to nine men in the 70th minute when Saud al Habsi received his second yellow card for a foul on Miqbali on the top of the box. Mohsin al Ghassani's took the long-range free-kick and beat a diving Suwaiq goalkeeper Faiz al Rusheidi to secure the march of Seeb into their second successive final.
Seeb will hope to retain the crown on March 9 and emulate their previous such feat when they won three titles in a row from 1996-98 before claiming the coveted trophy last season.
