FOOTBALL – MUHARRAQ maintained their winning ways last night with a 2-0 victory over Sitra in their round 17 match of the 2024-25 Nasser Bin Hamad Bahrain Premier League.
Soufiane Saeed Mahrouk and Mohammed Al Hardan were on target for the victors on either side of the break in the contest, played at Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town.
Muharraq widened their gap atop the table to a massive 12 points from their closest challengers, two-time defending champions Al Khaldiya, who were not in action yesterday.
In other fixtures last night, Al Najma defeated Malkiya 1-0 at the National Stadium in Riffa, while Bahrain Club were held to a 1-1 stalemate against A’ali.
In Muharraq’s win, Mahrouk opened their account in the 22nd minute with a goal on a one-on-one with Sitra goalkeeper Abbas Ahmed.
Mahrouk was on the receiving end of a brilliantly timed pass by Edimar Ribeiro da Costa Junior, which sent Mahrouk on a breakaway and he slotted home from close range.
Al Hardan then added their second in the 72nd minute with a penalty. Muharraq were awarded their spot kick after Sitra’s Badar Bashir Abdallah brought da Costa Junior down in the box. Al Hardan fired into the bottom-left of the net.
A pair of Sitra goals were disallowed during the game. Ousmane Malloum Hassane had a brilliant strike from an acute angle in the first half that was not counted, and then Yaya Al Hadj Ousman had a penalty attempt saved by Ebrahim Luthfallah, but teammate Mahamat Yaya Elhadj Hassan sent in the rebound.
Following the result, Muharraq improved to 44 points followed their 14th win in front place on the standings. Sitra suffered their fourth loss and stayed on 27 points.
In another game yesterday, Najma defeated Malkiya 1-0 at the National Stadium in Riffa.
A stunning low strike by Edlin Randy Essang-Matouti from Gabon scored from distance in the ninth minute of second-half injury time – a goal that was enough to separate the two sides.
Najma registered their sixth win as they improved to 22 points, while Malkiya remained on 21 markers following their fourth defeat.
In the 1-1 draw between Bahrain Club and A’ali, Bahrain Club’s Brazilian professional Michel Darlyn Dias Rocha opened the scoring in 14th minute after tapping in from the face of goal off a free-kick from the left.
A’ali then drew level on the stroke of full time after Irish professional Clyde O’Connell scored from the goalmouth off a cross from the right wing supplied by Brazilian Fabricio Ribeiro Correia.
League action continues tonight with another three games on the cards to wrap up the 17th round. Khaldiya face off with Al Shabab at the National Stadium, while Riffa play Al Ahli at Khalifa Sports City Stadium. Manama and East Riffa lock horns at Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Stadium in a match between the league’s two bottom sides. All three games are scheduled for 7pm kick-offs.
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