FOOTBALL – AL Khaldiya’s title triumph in the His Majesty the King’s Cup last weekend was the “most difficult championship” of his career, says winning head coach Ali Ashoor.
The Bahraini tactician lifted the prestigious trophy for the fourth time and first with Khaldiya. He had previously won the kingdom’s richest annual football tournament once with Al Najma and twice with Riffa in its past editions.
But this was the toughest, stresses Ashoor, as he needed to guide his team back from a two-goal deficit early on in a stunning 3-2 triumph against Sitra in the final – all while playing with just 10 men for over an hour.
“It was the most difficult championship I have ever won,” Ashoor told the GDN.
“We prepared the players very well – mentally, physically, tactically, and technically; and we started well. Unfortunately, the scenario was against us after we conceded a goal with a penalty and a red card, and that was too much difficult for us at this moment – being a final in the King’s Cup, which is one of the most important tournaments of the season.”
Ashoor highlights that the team’s adjustments following some key substitutions were crucial to their comeback.
“After Sitra’s first goal and the red card – playing with 10 players against 11 was really difficult and our players lost their mental toughness; then we conceded a second goal,” Ashoor recalled.
“I tried to cool the players down and calm them, made our first substitutions and moved some players around. We organised ourselves and scored in the last minute of the first half, which was very important.
“In the locker room I spoke to the players and told them not to worry. We are a big team and big teams will face these kinds of scenarios, and I believe they all have a lot of experience in international games.
“We then scored our second goal starting the second half, and after I put Dhurgham [Ismail] in a position to attack more, he had a great cross to Mahdi Abduljabbar, who scored our winning goal.”
Ashoor expressed his joy in securing Khaldiya’s second-ever title in the His Majesty the King’s Cup, adding to their maiden triumph in the 2021-2022 season.
“It was a great match and I am very, very happy we won,” said Ashoor. “It was a really difficult scenario for any coach. I think we deserve to win, although Sitra played very well, and I loved the atmosphere of the match. It was a great game to play for the King’s Cup.”
With the His Majesty the King’s Cup secured, Khaldiya now shift their focus to winning the crown in the Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier League for the third year in a row.
They are scheduled to resume their bid for an unprecedented ‘three-peat’ tomorrow in the 15th round of play, when they take on bottom-of-the-table club East Riffa at the National Stadium in Riffa.
Their game is scheduled to kick off at 7.20pm. Also as part of the 15th round, three games will take place today, headlined by current table-toppers Muharraq taking on Al Najma at 8pm, also at the National Stadium.
Elsewhere this evening, A’ali play Al Malkiya at Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Stadium and Bahrain Club take on Al Shabab at Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town. In tomorrow’s two other fixtures, Sitra go up against Al Ahli at Khalifa Sports City Stadium while Manama and Riffa clash at Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Stadium. All four games are scheduled for 7.20pm kick-offs.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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