An-Nahda and At-Taawoun drew 1:1 in their AFC Cup Group Stage - 1 match at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on 2026-09-16. The result means both sides sit on one point after a single game, with An-Nahda second and At-Taawoun third in the standings. To be fair, neither side had much to settle after recent results.
The first notable moment came at 41 minutes when S. Rajab picked up a yellow card for the hosts. At half-time, that same player was taken off for N. Bajrami, a double substitution that caught the eye. By then, At-Taawoun were still reeling from their 0:6 defeat to Al-Hilal just four days earlier.
R. Al Tulayhi gave An-Nahda the lead at 60 minutes, but P. Boumal, who had been cautioned at 59, equalised at 81. The away side had switched off at the back there — a set piece vulnerability they'd been exposed for before. Three substitutions followed in quick succession: V. Ahmedi at 63, Y. El Bahraoui at 73, and then a pair at 87 when O. Dorley was replaced by M. Al Kuwaykibi.
The table stays wide open after this round. Both teams have played once, drawn once, and have one point each. The gap between second and third is meaningless at this stage — it's only one game in, so the standings don't tell you much yet.
