07-07-2025
Oman hockey hold Egypt, crush Croatia friendly
MUSCAT: Oman's national hockey team will face Croatia today in their third match of the ongoing Tri-Nation International Friendly Tournament, hosted by Egypt from July 4 to 10. Tomorrow, the team will meet the host nation, Egypt, in the final round of the home-and-away stage. Both matches are scheduled to take place at the Suez Canal Authority's hockey stadium.
DRAW AGAINST EGYPT
In their second match, Oman earned a 1-1 draw against Egypt in a balanced contest that saw equal performance and chances from both sides. Egypt opened the scoring in the third minute through Hossam Ragheb. Despite several attempts, Oman couldn't equalise in the first quarter, which ended 1-0 in favor of Egypt.
The second quarter witnessed back-and-forth opportunities but no goals were scored, keeping Egypt ahead 1-0.
Oman came into the third quarter determined to equalise, but faced an organised Egyptian defense that prevented any breakthrough, and the quarter ended with the same 1-0 scoreline.
In the fourth and final quarter, our national team intensified its offensive pressure, and player Fahad al Lawati managed to equalise the score in the 47th minute, following a smart pass inside the penalty area.
Oman kicked off their tournament campaign with 5-2 victory over Croatia
TRIUMPH OVER CROATIA
Oman kicked off their tournament campaign with a commanding 5-2 victory over Croatia. The team entered the match with strong determination, and Fahad al Lawati opened the scoring in the 2nd minute following an intense offensive push that unsettled the Croatian defence. Oman maintained their dominance in the first quarter, which ended 1-0, despite Croatia's attempts to respond.
In the second quarter, both teams exchanged chances, but the score remained unchanged, with Oman holding onto their 1-0 lead through solid defence.
The third quarter saw Oman take full control of the game. Ayman Madid doubled the lead in the 34th minute and then scored again in the 40th minute to make it 3-0 by the end of the quarter.
In the final quarter, Mario Mučić narrowed the gap for Croatia with a penalty corner goal in the 47th minute. Oman quickly responded with a fourth goal by Maytham al Wahaibi in the 49th minute. Croatia pulled one back with a second goal by Josip Krleza, again from a penalty corner in the 53rd minute. However, Elias al Noufli sealed the victory for Oman with a fifth goal in the 55th minute, ending the match 5-2 in Oman's favour.
Oman national hockey team
Head coach Mohammed bin Hobais Bait Jandal commented: "We secured an important win against Croatia and drew with Egypt, which positively impacted the players' morale. We've seen improvements in discipline and performance, especially in fitness and tactical execution."
He added, "we plan to maintain this momentum, taking each game seriously without overconfidence."
Coach Bait Jandal also revealed that player Faisal bin Awad al Lawan sustained a muscle injury that will sideline him for the remainder of the tournament. However, he confirmed that the rest of the squad is ready to step up and maintain the team's strong performance. Elias al Noufli noted the win over Croatia was the result of a new tactical plan tailored for an unfamiliar opponent. We followed the coach's instructions and controlled the game. Despite the tough match against Egypt, we earned a valuable draw and will aim to improve in the upcoming games.
