Al Shabab secured a 3-1 victory over Saudi Arabia’s NEOM at the Al Rustaq Sports Complex on Tuesday, marking their first points in the Gulf Club Champions League Group A stage. The Omani club overturned an early deficit with two goals in a five-minute span during the second half, fueled by a standout performance from Dutch striker Pepijn Doesburg, who scored twice.

NEOM took an early lead in the 16th minute through Greek forward Giorgos Masouras, capitalizing on their strong start. However, the Saudi side faced a setback when Valentín Vada was forced off due to injury just after the half-hour mark, replaced by Faisal al Ghamdi.

Al Shabab responded before halftime, earning a penalty in the 42nd minute which Doesburg converted to level the score at 1-1 going into the break. The Omani team then shifted the momentum after the interval, with Al Mutasim al Maqbali putting the hosts ahead in the 55th minute.

NEOM looked to alter the course of the game with a double substitution in the 59th minute, bringing on Abdulmalik al Owayyir and Abdulaziz al Othman for Abbas al Hassan and Muhannad al Saad. Despite this, Doesburg scored again just one minute later, extending Al Shabab’s lead to 3-1.

NEOM was unable to mount a successful comeback in the remaining minutes, while Al Shabab continued to threaten on counterattacks and maintained their advantage until full time. The result lifted Al Shabab to third place in the group with three points, moving them just behind NEOM on goal difference. All three teams—Al Shabab, NEOM, and group leaders Al Duhail—now stand level on points following Al Duhail’s earlier 4-0 win over Yemen’s Shaab Hadramout.

After their opening 3-0 loss to Al Duhail, the victory provided Al Shabab with a crucial boost as they seek to regain momentum in the tournament’s remaining matches. NEOM, despite the defeat, remain in contention and aim to rebound in their upcoming fixtures.