FOOTBALL – RIFFA struck late to salvage a thrilling 1-1 draw against Al Najma last night as the opening week of matches wrapped up in the 2025-26 Nasser Bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League.
After having two goals disallowed in the first half, Riffa finally got onto the score board when Bahrain international defender and captain Hamad Shamsan headed home from close range in the seventh minute of second-half injury time.
That brought the match back on level terms after Algerian professional Samy Frioui had put Najma in front in the 71st minute.
The game was hotly contested with both teams having chances to steal the win in the closing stages, but they both came away from Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town with a share of the points.
In last night’s other fixture played at the Late Shaikh Ali Bin Mohammed Bin Isa Al Khalifa Stadium in Arad, Budaiya and Al Shabab also played to a 1-1 stalemate.
Hamad Fouad Naser was on target for Budaiya while Cameroonian Stephane Samir Binong supplied Shabab’s equaliser from the penalty spot. Both goals came in the first half.
Action in the 2025-26 Nasser Bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League continues on Friday with the second week of play.
In the week two fixtures, Riffa play Sitra, Najma go up against A’ali, Budaiya face Malkiya, Shabab take on defending champions Muharraq, Al Khaldiya play Al Ahli, and Hidd battle Bahrain Club.
At Khalifa Sports City Stadium last night, Riffa appeared to have gone ahead in the 39th minute after Malian professional Ibrahima Tandia scored from close range on a quick counter-attack. Tandia received a long pass from Brazilian teammate Rodrigo Yuri Pires Franca from their own half of the pitch, and then brilliantly controlled the ball before slotting it home. But after a lengthy VAR check, the goal was disallowed.
Riffa were unlucky to have a similar scenario play out in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time after Brazilian professional Vinicius Vargas dos Santos fired in off a rebound after Najma goalkeeper Ammar Mohammed punched away a cross by Franca. But following another VAR check that again lasted several minutes, the goal was not counted and the game headed into the break goalless.
In the second half, Najma went ahead in the 71st minute when Frioui headed in from close range off a short cross from the left delivered by French teammate Zachary Marvin Hadji.
But Riffa equalised late on when Shamsan scored in traffic with a header off a free-kick delivered from the left by Franca.
Najma custodian Mohammed later made a crucial save in the 107th minute to preserve the deadlock after Yousef Al Suda tried to find a winner for Riffa from just outside the six-yard box.
In Budaiya’s draw with Shabab, Budaiya went ahead in the 40th minute after Naser scored from close range following a free-kick by Brazilian Adriano Soares Filgueira from distance, which was deflected. The ball went to Naser’s path a few metres from goal, and he sent it in with one touch to give his side the advantage.
Shabab were then awarded a penalty in the third minute of first-half added time after Budaiya goalkeeper Mohammed Ahmed Al Shaikh took down Shabab’s Alaa Mustafa Anas in the area.
After a quick VAR check, Cameroonian Stephane Samir Binong stepped forward to take the spot kick and he converted with a shot to the right of the net.
Neither team could add to the score after the re-start.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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