FOOTBALL – DEFENDING champions Khaldiya moved to the top of the 12-team 2023-24 Nasser bin Hamad Premier League table after defeating Al Hala 3-1 at the Khalifa Sports City Stadium last night.
Khaldiya are now level with Al Ahli on 17 points but are in first place because of goal difference while Al Hala remain on 12 points.
The game had to be stopped in the 22nd minute after a collision between Al Hala defender Imam Mohammed Abdu and teammate, Cameroonian goalkeeper Godwill Ndang, left the latter unconscious.
The incident occurred as Abdu ran toward the goal to intercept a pass from a Riffa player and his knee struck Ndang, who had slid forward to do the same, squarely in the face, knocking him out instantly.
Medical staff immediately sprinted onto the field to aid Ndang and were able to revive him after a few minutes. The Al Hala goalkeeper managed to get on his feet with assistance thereafter but looked dazed and was taken to the hospital for further assessment.
Ashraf Mubarak replaced Ndang, with the match restarting after an almost 10-minute delay, and immediately received a baptism by fire with Khaldiya captain Dominique Mendy sending the ball whizzing over the Al Hala keeper’s head into the goal off a cross from the right in the 31st minute.
Khaldiya made it 2-0 just nine minutes later when Iraqi left-winger Dhurgham Ismael curled the ball from the left to Algerian striker Samy Frioui, who received it in the centre of the box with his back to the goal, spun around and threaded it between two defenders and Mubarak into the back of the net.
Frioui was in action again three minutes into the second half when, after Mubarak failed to gather the ball from an attempt by Mahdi Humaidan from distance, he pounced on the rebound to score Khaldiya’s third goal of the night.
Al Hala had barely managed to get the ball into the Khaldiya box until then but did finally get a shot at goal in the 60th minute which was coolly saved by goalkeeper Mohammed Al Gharabli.
Ten minutes later, Al Hala had a great opportunity to finally get on the scoreboard with Al Gharabli led out to the right of the box as he sprinted after the ball with Al Hala’s Gambian left-winger Jumai Jallow in hot pursuit.
Jallow managed to get possession and fired the ball towards the goal only for Khaldiya’s Abdulla Al Hazaa to make a sliding clearance.
Five minutes later, Jallow did manage to score when he collected a pass from the right, evaded two defenders and sent the ball rocketing past Al Gharabli’s outstretched right hand into the goal.
Al Hala began to display greater intensity, thereafter, but the damage had been done in the preceding 75 minutes when they had allowed Khaldiya to dominate and it wasn’t long before the defending champions were celebrating their first win since late October.
Meanwhile, in the other Premier League fixture last night, a 90th minute goal by Iranian forward Amir Roustaei enabled Sitra to hold East Riffa to a 1-1 draw at the Muharraq Stadium.
East Riffa, who had 14 points coming into the game, would have joined Khaldiya and Al Ahli on 17 points had they won, and must have fancied their chances of getting those crucial three points with a 1-0 lead – courtesy of a 69th minute goal by Brazilian striker Thiago Augusto Fernandes – as the clock ticked to the end of the regulation 90 minutes.
Instead, Roustaei’s literal last-minute effort scuppered their plans meaning that they are now fourth in the table with 15 points, behind Riffa, who have 16.
Tonight’s matches (kick-offs at 7pm): Muharraq vs Al Najma – Khalifa Sports City Stadium; Manama vs Hidd – Bahrain National Stadium.
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