FOOTBALL – Muharraq returned to the top of the table in the 2024-25 Nasser Bin Hamad Bahrain Premier League last night following a resounding 3-0 victory over East Riffa to wrap up the 10th round of the season.
Portuguese forward Elliot Jorge Simoes Inacio and Soufiane Saeed Mahrouk were both on target for the victors on their home pitch at Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Stadium in Arad. Inacio opened Muharraq’s account near the half-hour mark and then Mahrouk added a brace with a goal on each side of the break.
All three of Muharraq’s conversions were assisted by their influential striker Edimar Ribeiro Da Costa Junior, who is the league’s top scorer.
Muharraq came away with their seventh win in 10 matches and have leapfrogged two-time defending champions Al Khaldiya to first place. They now lead by two points but have played one game more than their closest challengers.
East Riffa remained winless after 10 outings and were handed their eighth defeat as they continued to occupy last place in the standings.
Inacio fired home in the 27th minute after Da Costa Junior stole possession from East Riffa’s Brazilian midfielder Davi Xavier Lopes Dos Santos. He then passed to Mahrouk, who was charging towards goal, and Mahrouk slotted in from close range despite pressure from three opposing defenders and their Croatian goalkeeper Marin Ljubic.
Muharraq added a second in the third minute of first-half stoppage time when Mahrouk headed in from inside the six-yard box. His effort came off a ball from the right by Da Costa Junior, who appeared to be taking a shot but instead perfectly set up his teammate with a chance in the face of goal.
After the re-start, Mahrouk made it 3-0 in the 56th minute, scoring on a breakaway against Ljubic. He received a brilliant through-pass from Da Costa Junior with only Ljubic ahead of him, controlled the ball with his first touch, and then sent it into the net with his second.
Muharraq improved to 23 points while East Riffa stayed on just two.
In last night’s other fixture, played at Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town, Al Malkiya upset 10-man Riffa 2-0 in a clash between a pair of mid-table clubs.
Ibakeleki Hulrich from Cameroon gave Malkiya the lead after only four minutes with a fine volley from inside the area after Riffa failed to make a clearance.
They then added their second right before the half through Mohammed Jameel Al Qassab, who hit a stunner against the tough defence of Riffa’s Hazza Ali from the right of the box.
Riffa’s troubles piled on in the 70th minute when Syrian professional Mohammad Yahya Alhallak was given his marching orders for a dangerous challenge on Malkiya’s Sayed Ahmed Hashem. Then, deep into second-half injury time, they appeared to had lost another man after Fahad Jasim Busharar was shown a red card for elbowing fellow-substitute Onoriode Marshal Odah from Nigeria. But after a VAR check, the match referee rescinded his original decision and gave Busharar a yellow card instead.
Malkiya posted their fourth win in 10 matches with the result and improved to 16 points, overtaking Riffa on the table as they remained on 14 following their third loss in nine tries.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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