Twenty-three clubs to compete for Oman’s His Majesty’s Cup

Al Nahda will begin defending Oman’s His Majesty’s Cup from the round of 16 after Tuesday’s draw set the route for a 23-club competition in the 2026/27 season.

Fourteen clubs will contest the preliminary round, with the seven winners joining nine directly qualified teams in the last 16. The preliminary matches will be single-leg knockouts, with extra time and penalties deciding tied games after 90 minutes. The quarter-finals and semi-finals will be played over two legs.

The preliminary draw paired Samail with Bidiya, Saham with Muscat, Al Talee’a with Al Mudhaibi, Al Wahda with Majees, Nizwa with Fanja, Al Suwaiq with Ibri, and Al Musannah with Al Arouba. Their winners will meet directly qualified clubs in the next round. Al Nahda will face the winner of Samail and Bidiya, while Seeb will meet the winner of Saham and Muscat.

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The HM’s Cup competition is an integral part of our glorious history, as it is the most precious competition and the closest to our hearts.

The other last-16 paths link the remaining preliminary winners with Sohar, Oman Club, Dhofar, Bahla, Al Nasr and Al Shabab. The participating clubs include teams from across Oman’s domestic competition. The tournament is expected to begin in October 2026, but the first-match date has not been set.

At the draw ceremony, Oman Football Association chairman Sayyid Sulaiman Al Busaidi described the cup as central to the country’s football history and said the association wanted to strengthen its sporting and commercial appeal. “The HM’s Cup competition is an integral part of our glorious history, as it is the most precious competition and the closest to our hearts,” he said. “This prestigious competition represents the beating heart of Omani football and the authentic cornerstone of it.”

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This prestigious competition represents the beating heart of Omani football and the authentic cornerstone of it.