The Bahrain National Stadium will be the focus of attention tonight as a crucial Nasser bin Hamad Premier League football match promises to showcase a mouth-watering clash between table-toppers Riffa, the reigning champions, and Manama, who are just three points behind.
Both teams have just two games each left to play but 13-time champions Riffa, who are currently perched on 38 points, could win the tournament outright if they triumph this evening.
However, Manama, currently with 35 points, who have never won the championship in its 66-year history, are determined to finally get their name on the winner’s board this season. If they manage to beat Riffa, they will draw level on points and set up humdingers for both teams as they head into their last games against Khaldiya and Muharraq, respectively, later in the week.
Key officials from both teams acknowledged that the players and coaching staff understood it’s a must-win game for each side.
“It’s going to be hard for both teams,” Ahmed Aljowhari, Manama’s head of football, told GDN yesterday. “Riffa are a good team. We are a good team. The game is going to be evenly matched.”
Riffa coach Ali Ashoor agreed, saying he expected a high-intensity game to go down to the wire.
“Manama have been a tough side to compete with this season,” he told GDN. “They were on top of the table at the beginning and have refused to let up. We expect them to come strongly at us tonight.”
Ashoor said he was satisfied with his team’s preparation for what is essentially going to seem like a final to both Riffa and Manama.
“We are one of the biggest teams in Bahrain,” he added. “Winning games, for us, is normal. But trying to win the league in a game like this brings added pressure. We’re focused and up for it, though.”
Manama’s Aljowhari also laid special emphasis on his players needing to remain committed throughout the match.
“Whoever retains their focus, keeps their cool, is likely to help our team win,” he said. “What we say is: everything is in the hands of the players!”
The 10-team tournament was rebranded to reflect its current title three seasons ago. Muharraq, who have won the championship a record 34 times, have been the dominant team over the past six-and-a-half decades but Riffa have emerged champions twice over the last three seasons and most experts expect them to secure their second title in a row – if not tonight, then in their last league game against Muharraq.
However, Riffa’s Ashoor was quick to downplay any talk of an ascendency over his team’s opponents, saying his side ‘respected’ Manama.
“They have good players, are highly focused and are good at counter-attacking,” he stressed. “They also have Mahdi Abduljabar, the top-scorer in the league this season. So we’re not going to take them lightly.”
Manama centre-forward Abduljabar currently leads the list of goal-scorers with 15 goals, followed by Riffa’s left-midfielder Mohamed Marhoon with eight.
“But we have some seriously good players in our side,” Ashoor continued. “Marhoon and our captain, fellow mid-fielder, Komail Al Aswad both play for the Bahrain national side. And we have two players from the Syrian national team – left-back Moayad Ajan and mid-fielder Mohammad Anez – who are fantastic. So we are confident that we will do well.”
Manama also have two players who play for the Bahrain national team, Aljowhari said.
“Abduljabar and Ahmed Moosa Ali bring international experience to our side,” he added. “And our team, ably led by our captain, Issa Moosa, is a wonderful blend of experience and youth. It is a balanced side. Mohammad Al-Hallaq, the talented right-winger, has demonstrated great skill throughout the championship, for example, despite being so young. So, without indulging in any bombast, I would like to say that we have a good chance of prevailing in the contest tonight.”
But, he quickly added, Riffa had a slight advantage because of having won the tournament so many times. “Riffa have been in these high-pressure situations before,” Aljowhari explained. “So they know how to handle the pressure. For us, it’s only the second time that Manama have come this close to our first-ever league win. Like I said before, it’s all up to the players now, how they handle the pressure and, hopefully come out on top.”
Ashoor agreed.
“It’s all about handling the pressure,” he said. “It’s as simple as that.”
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