FOOTBALL – DEFENDING champions Al Khaldiya registered a crucial 3-1 victory over Al Najma last night to wrap up the ninth week of action in the 2024-25 Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier League.
Gleison Wilson Da Silva Moreira had a brace while Bahrain national team star Mahdi Abduljabbar supplied the other for the victors at the National Stadium in Riffa.
Omar Saber Abdulrahman was on target for Najma in the loss.
Khaldiya – playing for the first time this season without influential star Komail Al Aswad, who has signed with Al Arabi of Kuwait – leapfrogged Najma to second place on the table with the result.
They both remained behind solo leaders Muharraq, but Khaldiya narrowed the gap and have played one match less.
In yesterday’s other fixture, held at the Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town, Al Shabab upset Riffa 2-0.
Ghanaian Hanan Abdul Wahab and Moroccan Nizar El Otmani were the scorers for Shabab. Both were on target in the second half.
Shabab rose to the top-half of the 12-team standings with their victory, tying Riffa on points.
In Khaldiya’s triumph, Moreira gave his team a dream start after opening their account in the third minute. He scored from just outside the six-yard box after receiving a fine pass from the left delivered by Mahdi Humaidan, and fired home with one touch past Najma goalkeeper Mahmood Alajmi.
It didn’t take long for Najma to draw level after a mistake by Khaldiya’s Bahrain international goalkeeper Ammar Mohammed in the 14th minute. After receiving a back-pass off his line from Iraqi Dhurgham Ismail, he under-hit his outlet pass which went straight to Abdulrahman. The Najma midfielder took advantage and fired into an empty net from within the penalty area.
But Khaldiya regained their advantage right before the half when Moreira found the net once more. He tapped in from the goalmouth off a brilliant pass from Ismail on the left flank.
Then, after the re-start, Khaldiya made it 3-1 with an Abduljabbar conversion in the 57th minute. He guided the ball home off a short cross supplied by fellow-national team star Sayed Dhiya Saeed.
That pegged the final score and earned Khaldiya their sixth win in eight matches. The back-to-back league title winners improved to 18 points – just two behind Muharraq. Najma suffered their third loss in nine games and stayed on 16 markers in third place.
Meanwhile, in Shabab’s triumph, both teams were goalless for the opening 45 minutes, until Abdul Wahab ended the drought in the 58th with a stunning strike from distance. He hit a powerful low shot from more than 20 yards out, and the ball bounced off the left post and into the net.
Shabab then doubled their lead nine minutes from full time with another stunning strike – this time by El Otmani. He powered in an impressive effort from the outer-left of the box. His shot flew into the top-right corner of the net, giving Riffa’s Syrian stopper Ahmad Abduljalil Madanieh no chance.
Shabab came away with only their fourth win in nine tries and they went to 14 points. Riffa are also on 14 as they suffered their second defeat.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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