FOOTBALL – BAHRAIN Club and A’ali both retained their places last night for next season’s Nasser Bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League.
The two sides defended their spots in the top flight after finishing first and second, respectively, in the four-team play-off competition for promotion or relegation.
Bahrain Club topped the table after posting a 2-1 victory over Isa Town in their concluding fixture yesterday at Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town. A’ali, meanwhile, stunned Al Hala 2-1 at the National Stadium in Riffa. A’ali thus made it through via the head-to-head rule on the tie-break after drawing level with Hala on four points in the standings.
Bahrain Club and A’ali have avoided relegation to the second division for the 2025-26 campaign – staying away from the drop and from joining East Riffa and Manama in the lower-tier national competition.
Isa Town and Hala, on the other hand, are forced to stay in division two, coming up short in their bid to join Budaiya and Hidd in gaining promotion to next season’s Nasser Bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League.
In Bahrain Club’s win last night, they were first to score after being awarded a penalty early in the match following a foul by Isa Town’s Abdulla Al Sayed Ashoor on Bahrain Club’s Sultan Al Salatnah in the area. Brazilian Joel Vinicius Silva Dos Anjos stepped forward to take the spot kick, and he slotted home into the bottom-right corner in the 15th minute for the lead.
The victors then doubled their advantage in the 31st minute and Dos Anjos this time supplied the assist. He drew Isa Town goalkeeper Mahbob Aldosari off his line and then passed to an unmarked Al Salatnah, who fired home into an empty net.
Isa Town were able to get a lone consolation in the 83rd minute when Sekou Kaba scored from close range after Abdullah Al Ahmad could not deal with a cross from the right.
Bahrain Club improved to seven points to end the competition after claiming their second win in three matches. Isa Town were handed their second loss to go with one draw as they wrapped up the tournament with just a single point.
Meanwhile, in the victory of A’ali, they were awarded a penalty in the very first minute of the contest after Hala’s Mohammed Matar was adjudged to have handled the ball on a shot attempt by Abdelrahman Ahmadi.
Brazilian Robson Da Silva made no mistake with his effort and fired in to the right of goal to put A’ali in front.
Hala didn’t take long to strike back, however, as French professional Mamadou Lamine Diawara headed in from inside the box in the eighth minute off a free-kick by teammate Ali Al Anzi. Diawara was all alone and he sent the ball in to the left of the net.
But in the very first minute of the second half, A’ali were back in command after English player Layton Ndukwu hit a low left-footed strike to the bottom-left corner of goal, following a fine pass from teammate Yaseen Mansour.
That was enough to give A’ali the all-important three points, tying Hala on the table but keeping their league place on the head-to-head tie-break rule.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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