2015–16 Oman Professional League


The 2015-16 Oman Professional League is the 40th edition of the top football league in Oman. The season began on 13 September 2015 and conclude on 14 April 2016. The start of the 2015–16 Professional League season which was scheduled for 19 August 2015 was later postponed to 13 September 2015 following requests from five of the 14 participating clubs. Al-Oruba SC are the defending champions, having won their fourth title in the previous 2014–15 Oman Professional League season. At the end of the 25th round, Oman Football Association announced that if the top two teams at the end of the last round end up with equal points, the two teams will play a home and away championship play-off on 28 April 2016 and 2 May 2016 at the respective home grounds.
The curtains came down on a thrilling OPL season with Fanja SC outplaying Al-Suwaiq SC for a 2-0 victory and a record-equalling ninth domestic league crown on Sunday, 24 April 2016.

Teams

This season the league had 14 teams. Bowsher Club and Al-Seeb Club were relegated to the Oman First Division League after finishing in the relegation zone in the 2014–15 Oman Professional League season. Sohar SC however again managed to play in the top division as they won the Relegation/Promotion playoff against Al-Rustaq SC who had finished third in the 2014–15 Oman First Division League to earn the Relegation/Promotion playoff spot. The two relegated teams were replaced by Oman First Division League winners Muscat Club and runners-up Salalah SC.

Stadiums and locations

ClubHome cityStadiumCapacity
Al-Khabourah SCAl-KhaburahNizwa Sports Complex
Al-Musannah SCAl-MusannahAl-Seeb Stadium
Al-NahdaAl-BuraimiAl-Buraimi Sports Complex
Al-Nasr S.C.S.C.SalalahAl-Saada Stadium
Al-Oruba SCSurSur Sports Complex
Al-Shabab ClubBarkaAl-Seeb Stadium
Al-Suwaiq ClubAl-SuwaiqAl-Seeb Stadium
Dhofar S.C.S.C.SalalahAl-Saada Stadium
Fanja SCFanjaSultan Qaboos Sports Complex
Muscat ClubMuscatSultan Qaboos Sports Complex
Saham ClubSahamSohar Regional Sports Complex
Salalah SCSalalahAl-Saada Stadium
Sohar SCSoharSohar Regional Sports Complex
Sur SCSurSur Sports Complex

Personnel and kits

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
TeamHead CoachAssistant CoachCaptainKit ManufacturerShirt Sponsor

Al-Hosni Group International
Seven Pro Media
Jabreen Converting Industries
Al-Khamayil
VIA International Engineering Consultancy LLC





Fatik

Bazarkan Transport Company
CC Energy Development


Al-Jisr Marble & Granite


Managerial changes

TeamOutgoing ManagerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming ManagerDate of appointment
Al-Khabourah Resigned16 November 20158th 16 November 2015
Al-Khabourah Sacked7 December 201510th Mustafa Kiwa17 December 2015
Al-Musannah Resigned21 March 20169th 21 March 2016
Al-Musannah Caretaker Role Finished16 April 201611th 16 April 2016
Al-Nahda Sacked1 February 20168th 1 February 2016
Al-Nasr Sacked28 October 201510th 28 October 2015
Al-Nasr Caretaker Role Finished9 November 201510th 9 November 2015
Al-Nasr Mutual consent24 December 20159th 24 December 2015
Al-Nasr Caretaker Role Finished6 January 20166th 6 January 2016
Al-Nasr Sacked2 February 20167th 2 February 2016
Al-Oruba Mutual Consent22 November 20155th 22 November 2015
Al-Oruba Caretaker Role Finished28 November 20153rd 29 November 2015
Al-Oruba Sacked27 January 20161st 27 January 2016
Al-Oruba Caretaker Role Finished4 February 20161st 4 February 2016
Al-Shabab Sacked7 February 201514th 7 February 2015
Al-Shabab Caretaker Role Finished15 October 201511th 15 October 2015
Al-Shabab Sacked19 December 201511th 19 December 2015
Dhofar Mutual Consent23 September 20154th 23 September 2015
Dhofar Sacked23 November 20156th 23 November 2015
Fanja Sacked30 November 20155th 30 November 201511 December 2015
Fanja Caretaker Role Finished11 December 20155th 11 December 2015
Fanja Sacked6 April 20163rd 6 April 2016
Muscat Sacked24 October 201514th 24 October 2015
Saham Sacked24 January 20169th 24 January 2016
Salalah Sacked22 January 201614th 22 January 2016
Sohar Resigned20 January 20165th 20 January 2016
Sohar Resigned24 January 20165th 24 January 2016
Sohar Sacked29 March 20168th 29 March 2016
Sur Sacked24 October 201510th 22 November 2015
Sur Resigned24 January 201612th 28 January 2016
Sur Resigned5 April 201613th 5 April 2016

Foreign players

Restricting the number of foreign players strictly to four per team, including a slot for a player from AFC countries. A team could use four foreign players on the field during each game including at least one player from the AFC country.
ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3AFC PlayerFormer Players
Al-Khabourah Jacob Aikhionbare Mame Balla Diop Mohamed TalaatTBD Zviad Sikharulia
Igor Carneiro Luiz
Al-Musannah Fernando Evangelista dos Santos Everton Souza Santos Anderson BinaTBD Belal Abduldaim
David da Silva
Thiago Brito
Al-Nahda Souleymane Demba Mounir Diane Feupa Jean FrancoisTBD Chihab Zoghlami
Gilles Mbang Ondo
Muayad Khalid
Al-Nasr Mechac Koffi Mamadou Soro Nanga Jamal Mohammed Kim Gwi-hyeon Lamine Diawara
Al-Oruba Lyle Peters Moussa Koné Edgar Bernhardt Abdulwasea Al-Matari Hans Kwofie
James Kotei
Al-Shabab Roniere Jose Da Silva Filho Ely Cissé Sidy KeitaTBD Amro Jenyat
Douglas Silveira
Guilherme Guedes
Al-Suwaiq Lys MouithysTBD Abdulatif Salkini Abdoulaye Koffi
Mouhamed Ablaye Gaye
Dhofar Ben Konaté Didier Bassamagne Moundoubou Thomas Edwards Hamdi Al Masri Samir Malcuit
Arbi Jabeur
Khaled Gharsallaoui
Ahmed Al-Hifi
Salifou Fofana
Fanja Jarlisson Santana Garces Pereira Sami Al-Amin Moustapha DiawTBD Khaled Al-Brijawi
Muscat Vinícius Calamari Mignane Diouf Abdou Kader Fall Khaled Al-Brijawi Paulo Sérgio
Ousseni Zongo
Salim Khedrah
Saham Alexandre Matão Pierre Koulibaly Abdoulaye Dieng Hamada Al-Zubairi Vítor Huvos
Founéké Sy
Belal Abduldaim
Diakite Brahima
Efosa Eguakun
Salalah Thiago Amaral Paa Ernest Ateya El-Belqasy Ibrahim Kamil Yousuf Saad
Aremu Philip
Hamzeh Al Aitoni
Sohar Vedran Gerc Marin Con Admir Malkic Ivan Filatov Dan Ignat
Hamada Barakat
Ibrahim Kamil
Sur Jefferson de Jesus Florencio Komlan Amewou Claude SignoneTBD Salif Ballo
Mohamed Traoré
Cédric Tchoumbé
Alan Leandro
Bong Bertrand

League table

Results

Clubs season-progress

Promotion/Relegation Play-off

1st Leg

2nd Leg

Ja'lan earned promotion to 2016–17 Oman Professional League after winning 3-2 on aggregate.

Season statistics

Top scorers

Top Omani Scorers

Hat-tricks

* Player scored 4 goals

OFA Awards

awarded the following awards for the 2015–16 Oman Professional League season.

Controversies

The league was the subject of controversies like the refusal of 2014–15 Oman Professional League and 2014–15 Sultan Qaboos Cup to play in the 2015 Oman Super Cup.
On 19 August 2015, the defending Oman Professional League and Sultan Qaboos Cup champions, Al-Oruba SC decided to pull out of the 2015 Oman Super Cup citing non-payment of dues by the Oman Football Association and a late release of its players from national and army team camps as the main reasons behind the club's decision to pull out. On 21 August 2015, Fanja was declared the winner of the Super Cup after its opponent, Al-Oruba, as expected failed to turn up for the match. On 6 September 2015, the defending champions were punished by the OFA's disciplinary committee for failing to turn up against Fanja in the 2015 Oman Super Cup. The defending champions of both the Oman Professional League and the Sultan Qaboos Cup were fined a sum of Omani Rial 500 and the committee decided that the club will play their first five 2015–16 Oman Professional League fixtures away from home.