Aref Al-Haj hat-trick lifts Al-Hussein to 3-0 win over Al-Seeb in AFC Champions League Two

Published Wednesday 14 October 2026, 10:00 GMT+3 By Arab Hub Post Staff

Match Overview

In Jordan, Al-Hussein’s forward Aref Al-Haj scored a hat-trick to guide his side to a 3-0 win over Oman’s Al-Seeb in the AFC Champions League Two. The fixture took place yesterday at Al-Seeb Sports Stadium and constituted the second round of Group D. In the other Group D encounter, Iraq’s Al-Shorta overcame India’s East Bengal by three goals to two.

Lineups and Early Action

Al-Hussein fielded goalkeeper Yazeed Abu Layla, captain Abdullah Naseeb, Yousef Abu Al-Jazar, Ali Hijbi, Ahmad Assaf, Mahmoud Shawkat, Yousef Qushi, Aref Al-Haj, Ali Al-Raihi, Pedro Henrique and Masoud Juma under the direction of Spanish head coach Torres. Al-Seeb lined up with goalkeeper Ibrahim Al-Mukhaini, Mohammed Al-Musallami, Musab Al-Shaqsi, Omar Al-Malki, Hassan Al-Ajmi, Jawad Al-Ze, Abdulaziz Al-Muqbali, Augustine, Zahir Al-Aghbari, Ali Al-Busaidi and Axel Meye, coached by Romanian Florin Motroc, who previously guided Shabab Al-Ordon to the 2012 Pro League title and had two spells in charge of Al-Ramtha, the most recent in 2018. The Omani side began brightly when Ali Al-Busaidi fired a surprise effort that was cleared for a corner; Musab Al-Shaqsi met the resulting delivery but his header flew over Abu Layla’s goal. Al-Seeb then found it difficult to convert possession into clear openings.

First Half

Al-Hussein stayed compact and looked to hit on the break, with the runs of Aref Al-Haj, Qushi, Al-Raihi and Masoud Juma causing problems for the Al-Seeb defence. Al-Haj drove down the left and played a dangerous ball toward goal, but the Omani backline cleared it before it could reach Masoud Juma. Juma then attempted to exploit a defensive lapse after a defender played the ball back to his goalkeeper, yet Al-Mukhaini narrowed the angle and denied Al-Hussein the lead. Al-Seeb replied with quick attacks from the flanks and through the centre; Hassan Al-Ajmi passed to Zahir Al-Aghbari, who found himself one‑on‑one with Al-Hussein goalkeeper Yazeed Abu Layla but shot into the side netting. Al-Hussein returned to a fast‑attacking mode, with Al-Haj setting up Qushi, whose cross entered the Omani penalty area; Al-Raihi struck a powerful effort that went over the crossbar. Although Al-Seeb appeared more threatening, notably when Al-Aghbari collected a long ball behind the Al-Hussein defence, went down the left and rounded Abu Layla, Ahmad Assaf intervened to avert a certain goal. Al-Hussein took the lead just before the break when Al-Haj converted a set‑piece, striking a superb free kick into the right side of Al-Mukhaini’s net in the 42nd minute. The half ended 1-0.

Second Half and Hat‑trick

At the restart Al-Hussein kept its composure while Al-Seeb looked increasingly hurried in its attempts to equalise; efforts by Axel Meye, Al-Busaidi and Al-Aghbari were dealt with by a well‑ordered Al-Hussein defence backed by the midfield holders. Al-Haj then made his mark again after a swift Al-Hussein move released Masoud Juma on the right flank; Juma advanced and slipped an elegant ball into Al-Haj’s path inside the Al-Seeb box. Al-Haj’s initial shot was saved by Al-Mukhaini, but he followed up with a delicate chip to make it 2-0 in the 54th minute. The growing gap prompted the Al-Seeb coach to introduce four substitutes in a bid to reshape the team; Torres answered with two changes, notably handing international defender Adham Al-Quraishi his first appearance after a prolonged injury layoff. Al-Seeb continued to press for a goal, with Augustine producing the best chance—a powerful effort that just cleared Abu Layla’s crossbar—and the goalkeeper also turned away a second Augustine attempt. Al-Hussein remained solid at the back, with Abu Layla’s presence helping the side absorb pressure, and it looked to launch quick breaks, one of which reached Masoud Juma whose effort was blocked by the Omani defence. Both coaches kept rotating their benches as the match entered its final stages. Despite the alterations, Al-Hussein retained its midfield edge and Al-Haj kept influencing the game. He collected the ball on the left side of the Al-Seeb penalty area, accelerated past a defender with notable skill and beat the goalkeeper with a superb finish in the 82nd minute to complete his hat‑trick, making the score 3-0. Al-Haj had a chance to add a fourth but Al-Mukhaini intervened, and further tries by Augustine, Axel and Al-Busaidi failed to alter the outcome, allowing Al-Hussein to hold on for a valuable 3-0 triumph.

Group D Standings

The victory lifted Al-Hussein to second position in Group D with four points, behind the leaders Al-Shorta who have six points. The result represents an important step toward claiming one of the two qualification berths available from the group.