Oman Professional League Explained

Pixels:150
Country:Oman
Confed:AFC
Teams:14
Relegation:Oman First Division League
Levels:1
Domest Cup:Sultan Qaboos Cup
Oman Super Cup
League Cup:Oman Professional League Cup
Confed Cup:AFC Challenge League
Most Successful Club:Dhofar (12 titles)
Champions:Al-Seeb
(2023–24)
(3rd title)
Tv:Oman Sports TV
Current:2024–25 Oman Professional League

The Oman Professional League (Arabic: [https://mercatoday.com/oman-professional-league-omantel/ دوري المحترفين عمان]; known as the Omantel Professional League for sponsorship reasons), previously known as the Omantel Elite League, is the top division of the Oman Football Association, and was officially created in 1976. Currently, the most successful team in the league is Dhofar with 12 titles to their name.

Evolution to a professional league

In 2010, during the annual draw for the Sultan Qaboos Cup, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Sultan of Oman, granted the OFA an annual 2.6 million rial (approximately 6.7 million dollars) till the year 2015 to further boost the development of the league. The move was made to nurture Oman's football youth, and create higher hopes of Oman qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The deal is in addition to the annual 1.6 million rial that the Sultan gives to the OFA every year.

Although being very popular in the local community, it was ranked according to the AFC as a Class D football League till the 2012–13 season. Sayyid Khalid bin Hamid Al-Busaidi, OFA President, had already announced his organization's plan to transform the Omani Football League into a professional league by 2012, and also announced to change the league's name to the Oman Mobile League. The interest from many companies such as Nissan, Shell and Oman Mobile, was one of the main reasons why the league was expected to transform, under with the leadership of Sayyid Khalid.[1]

The contract was extended again for the 2011–12 season for another three years to be known as the Omantel Elite League.

In 2013, ahead of the 2013–14 season, it was announced that the league had taken the first steps to becoming fully professional.[2] The Oman Football League got the seal of approval as a professional league on 1 September 2013 and will henceforth be called the Omantel Professional League (OPL).[3]

On 10 September 2014, one day before the first match of the 2014–15 season was played, Oman Football Association announced the extension of Omantel’s support for the country’s Professional League as its title sponsor.[4]

On 30 April 2016, OFA and the Public Authority for Radio and Television (PART) reached an agreement on TV broadcasting rights of all competitions and matches organised by OFA including those related to OPL and any other competitions and matches for three seasons.[5] [6]

On 5 September 2016, the leading healthcare services provider in the Sultanate, Badr Al Samaa Group of Hospitals renewed their partnership with OFA for the 2016-17 Omani football season.[7] On 8 September 2016, OFA confirmed that Omantel will be renewing their contract as the title sponsors of the OPL for the following three years, starting with the 2016-17 season until the 2018-19 season.[8]

Oman Professional League clubs (2024–25)

Relegated in 2023-24

Championship history

[9] [10]

Year by year

SeasonChampionRunner Up
Al-Nasr
Al-Ahli
Al-Nasr
Al-Ittihad
Dhofar
Al-Nasr
Al-Oruba
Al-Seeb
Oman
Sur
Sur
Al-Nasr
Al-Nasr
Al-Oruba
Sur
Dhofar
Muscat
Al-Oruba
Al-Nahda
Al-Oruba
Dhofar
Muscat
Dhofar
Al-Oruba
Al-Shabab
Fanja
2013–14Fanja
Fanja
Al-Suwaiq
Al-Shabab
Al-Shabab
Al-Shabab
Dhofar
Al-Seeb
2021–22Al-Seeb (2)Al Nahda
2022–23Al-Nahda (4)Al-Suwaiq
2023–24Al-Seeb (3)Al Nahda

Cities

The following table lists the Oman Professional League champions by cities.

CityTitlesWinning clubs
SalalahDhofar (12), Al-Nasr (5)
FanjaFanja (9)
SurAl-Oruba (4), Sur (2)
MuscatMuscat (3), Oman (1), Al-Ahli (1)
Al-SuwaiqAl-Suwaiq (4)
Al-BuraimiAl-Nahda (4)
SeebAl-Seeb (3)

Performance by club

ClubWinnersRunners-upWinning Seasons
Dhofar1982–83, 1984–85, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2020–21
Fanja1976–77, 1978–79, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1990–91, 2011–12, 2015–16
Al-Nasr1979–80, 1980–81, 1988–89, 1997–98, 2003–04
Al-Orouba1999–00, 2001–02, 2007–08, 2014–15
Al-Nahda2006–07, 2008–09, 2013–14, 2022–23
Al-Suwaiq2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2017–18
Muscat1977–78, 2002–03, 2005–06
Al-Seeb2019–20, 2021–22, 2023–24
Sur1994–95, 1995–96
Ahli Sidab1981–82
Oman1996–97

Topscorers

SeasonPlayerClubGoals
1991–92 Hilal HamidDhofar14
1995–96 Hilal HamidDhofar20
1996–97 Said FarajDhofar19
2004-05 Ahmed Al BusafyAl-Seeb12
2005–06 Salim Al-Shamsi
Ismail Al-Ajmi
Al Nahda
Muscat
12
2006–07 Mohammed AbdullahAl-Nasr6
2007–08 Aoerson D'CostaAl Oruba9
2008–09 Said Al-RuzaiqiSur13
2009–10 Ibrahim Al-GheilaniAl Suwaiq11
2010–11 Rodrigo Felix de OliveiraAl Nahda12
2011–12 Waleed Al-SaadiAl Suwaiq14
2012–13 Ely CisséFanja14
2013–14 Jumaa Saeed
Mohammed Al-Ghassani
Al Nahda
Al Suwaiq
16
2014–15 Mechac KoffiAl-Nasr19
2015–16 Vedran GercSohar14
2016–17 Essam Al-BarahiAl-Rustaq16
2017–18 Abdul Aziz Al-MuqbaliAl Suwaiq21
2018–19 Mohammed Al-GhassaniSaham18

Notable achievements by Omani clubs

The first trophy won by an Omani club in the regional or continental level was by Fanja in the 1989 Gulf Club Champions Cup, later named GCC Champions League. Fanja defeated Al-Muharraq of Bahrain in a penalty shootout after the match had ended 1–1 in the normal time. Fanja has appeared four times in the same tournament.

In the 1993–94 Asian Club Championship Omani club, Oman Club were awarded with second place after failing to beat Thai club, Thai Farmers Bank.

A few years later in 1996, Dhofar attempted to win the GCC Champions Cup, as Fanja did in 1989, but failed in the final match against Saudi club, Al-Nassr and finished with second place.

Al-Nahda competed in the 2008 AFC Cup, but were knocked-out in the semi-finals by eventual champions of the competition, Al-Muharraq on scoring aggregate.

Al Seeb Club achieved the AFC Cup title, becoming the second Omani club to achieve a regional or continental championship, after defeating Kuala Lumpur City in the 2022 AFC Cup Final.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: His Highness Sayyid Khalid Hamad Hamoud al Busaidi, chairman and president, Oman Football Association shares his plans to professionalise football in Oman . OER Oman Economic Review . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091106052942/http://www.oeronline.com/php/2009_oct/face2face.php . 6 November 2009 . dmy-all .
  2. Web site: Oman football to enter a new phase tomorrow . Times of Oman . 14 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140214214212/http://www.timesofoman.com/News/Article-22476.aspx . 14 February 2014 . dead .
  3. Web site: Professional League launched . Times of Oman . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140218203143/http://www.timesofoman.com/News/Article-21803.aspx . 18 February 2014 . dmy-all .
  4. Web site: OFA extends league tie-up with Omantel . Oman Observer . 12 September 2014 . 12 September 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140912182907/http://main.omanobserver.om/?p=110377 . dead .
  5. Web site: OFA, PART reach TV coverage deal . Oman Observer . 3 May 2016 . 4 June 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160604114323/http://omanobserver.om/ofa-part-reach-tv-coverage-deal/ . dead .
  6. Web site: شراكة تسويقية بين اتحاد القدم والتليفزيون لـ 3 مواسم . azamn.com . 3 May 2016 . 4 February 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170204203025/http://www.azamn.com/?p=368461 . live .
  7. Web site: Oman FA, Badr Al Samaa renew partnership . Times of Oman . 12 September 2016 . 18 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230918181446/https://timesofoman.com/article/91899/Sports/Football/Oman-FA-Badr-Al-Samaa-renew-partnership . live .
  8. Web site: Omantel Renew as Title Sponsors of Omantel Professional League . opl.om . 12 September 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180613185457/http://www.opl.om/omantel-renew-title-sponsors-omantel-professional-league . 13 June 2018 . dead .
  9. Web site: Oman – List of Champions. RSSSF. 2 March 2012. 18 September 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230918181448/https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/omanchamp.html. live.
  10. Web site: Most championships. goalzz.com. 2 March 2012. 18 September 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230918181447/https://www.goalzz.com/main.aspx?g=441&winners=true. live.