FOOTBALL – ABDULWAHAB Al Malood scored with his first touch of the match to help lift Muharraq to a resounding 3-1 victory over defending champions Al Khaldiya last night to kick off the fifth week of action in the 2024-25 Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier League.
With the game tied at 1-1, Al Malood came on as a substitute in the 89th minute, and on the very next possession, fired in a left-footed effort past Khaldiya goalkeeper Ammar Mohammed to give his team the narrow advantage.
Edimar Ribeiro Da Costa Junior then added Muharraq’s third in the 96th minute, sealing the full three points for their team. Ahmed Al Sherooqi had earlier netted an equaliser for Muharraq early in the second half after Brazilian Igor Torres Da Silva was on target for Khaldiya in the opening period.
The result lifted Muharraq to the top of the table with 11 points after posting their third win in five matches. They leapfrogged former leaders Khaldiya, who suffered their first loss in four outings and remained on nine markers.
Da Silva put Khaldiya in front last night in the eighth minute of the contest, played at Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town. He scored off a fine headed pass from the right wing, supplied by teammate Mahdi Humaidan. Da Silva outsprinted his Muharraq defenders to the box and fired home with a shot from the inside edge of the area.
Al Sherooqi brought the game level in the 50th minute with a clinical strike following an assist by Portuguese teammate Elliot Jorge Simoes Inacio. His equaliser lifted the spirits of Muharraq and they pressed for a winner.
Their efforts were rewarded with a minute to go in regular time. Al Malood had just come onto the field and after a shot from Jordanian Ibrahim Mohammad Sami Sa’deh was cleared, Al Malood hit a turning shot with his left foot.
Da Costa Junior then sealed their win with a goal in transition. After a shot by Khaldiya’s Seydina Laye Dabo was blocked, the ball rebounded towards Muharraq’s end of the pitch. Da Costa Junior collected and sprinted to a one-on-one with Mohammed while being chased by three Khaldiya players. He made no mistake with his effort to peg the final score for Muharraq.
Meanwhile, in another game last night at the National Stadium, Riffa claimed a cool 3-0 win over A’ali.
All three goals were scored in the second half, with Brazilian Vinicius Vargas Dos Santos netting a brace with conversions in the 53rd and 96th minutes. Algerian Samy Frioui added the other in the 93rd minute in between the two Dos Santos strikes.
Riffa secured their second win in three matches and improved to seven points on the league table, while A’ali were handed their third loss in five games and stayed on four points.
Week five league action continues tonight and tomorrow. This evening, Manama face Al Ahli and Al Najma take on Al Shabab, and then tomorrow Sitra play East Riffa and Bahrain Club go up against Al Malkiya. All matches are scheduled to kick off at 7pm.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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