(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) The small town of Mudhaibi till last Thursday was best known as the home of Oman's greatest footballer, Ali al Habsi, and another former star, Saif al Habsi. Not anymore as the club, where Ali began his career, made a historic qualification into Oman's top-flight football - Omantel Professional League (OPL) - for the first time.
On Thursday, playing in front of its largest home crowd of nearly 3,000 fans, Al Mudhaibi Club secured a goalless draw against Al Salam to ensure its promotion from the Oman
Football Association (OFA) First Division League into the 2017-18 OPL season.
Action from the match between Mudhaibi and Al Salam at Mudhaibi Club ground on Thursday
With just a round to go for the league to conclude on the coming Thursday, Al Mudhaibi has 15 points to be on the top and with Seeb at 14 points and Mirbat and Salam at 12 points each, Ali's first club was promoted to the delight of hundreds of its fans. Al Mudhaibi Club travels to Nizwa on April 27 where a win will also ensure it of the title.
The second direct berth into OPL is now a three-way fight between Seeb, Salam and Mirbat. Seeb takes on Mirbat while Salam plays against Mussanah in their concluding fixtures.
On Thursday, Al Mudhaibi went into the match with an OPL berth knocking at its doors. A last-minute support fund for the team and fans from Ali al Habsi, who is busy with English
Championship Club, Reading, in United Kingdom, turned out to be the catalyst the team needed in its crucial encounter with Salam.
A goalless draw was enough to top the league and seal OPL promotion. The result send the delirious crowd in the small town into massive celebrations.
Ahmed al Habsi, the former chairman of the club and the team's manager this season, told Muscat Daily, 'It is a historic day. The fans and the club, which was formed in 1986, had waited for long. I thank the players and the coaching staff for their hard work and we now look forward to end the season with a title on Thursday.'
Al Mudhaibi Club was where Ali began his career in 1998 and played for the then second division club till 2002. Ali has been a role model for the club and its players and have been supporting the team and club not just morally by paying visits to the club and meeting players but also financially.
'Ali has been the bedrock of the club's success and we owe a lot to him,' said Ahmed, his elder brother.
The Habsis, incidentally, have a major influence on the club with Ali's other brother, Anwar al Habsi, the coach and another of his younger siblings, Harib al Habsi, the team captain.
The club has been in the first division since 2004, when it got promoted from second division, where it was playing since 1986.
Al Mudhaibi did go close couple of times to earning a berth in the top-flight league when it featured in a playoff with Al Shabab in the 2007-08 season and in the 2013-14 season, it lost to Al Nasr in another playoff.
Mudhaibi players celebrate in front of their fans after securing the team's promotion into OPL
The first division has 12 clubs competing and after the first stage that comprises two groups of six teams each, the top three from each pool advance to the next round. Al Mudhaibi qualified along with Seeb and Mussanah from Group B to join Nizwa, Mirbat and Salam. In the next round, Al Mudhaibi won four of its nine matches played so far and drew three while it lost twice in back-to-back games in February to Seeb and Mirbat respectively.
Ahmed said that the team's success is owed to the strong family bonding the side has as a majority of players are from Mudhaibi.
'We also have a young squad with eight of our players from the U18 side.The experience of captain and goalkeeper Harib [al Habsi], along with
Mohammed al Sawafi also greatly helped the team. Anwar [al Habsi] has been with the team for long and his personal rapport with the players made a strong bonding that laid the foundation for the success.'
Mudhaibi captain Harib al Habsi gets a hug from a fan
Staam's message
Ali may not have been present to watch the historic success of his hometown club but was actively following the team. Soon after the team's promotion, the 35 year old Reading goalie exchanged numerous tweets of the success with his fans.
Ali also relayed a video message from his club's manager and former Manchester United great Jaap Staam. The Dutch congratulated Al Mudhaibi boys and wished them all success in a morale-boosting video that went viral with the Mudhaibi fans.
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