FOOTBALL – Title hopefuls Al Khaldiya and Muharraq were both victorious last night to end the seventh week of action in the 2025-26 Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League.
Khaldiya edged past Sitra 2-1 at the National Stadium in Riffa to rise to the top of the table, while defending champions Muharraq scored three late goals to defeat Hidd 3-0 on their home pitch at the Late Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa Stadium in Arad.
First-half efforts from Mahdi Abduljabbar and Gleison Wilson da Silva Moreira in quick succession helped lift Khaldiya to their hard-earned win against Sitra.
Abduljabbar opened their account in the 23rd minute after a botched clearance by Sitra goalkeeper Yusuf Habib Hasan.
He sent the ball directly to Khaldiya’s Moroccan professional Saif-Eddine Bouhra, who found an unmarked Abduljabbar just outside the six-yard box and he made no mistake with his attempt.
Moreira then added Khaldiya’s second barely two minutes later when he headed in from close range off a cross from the left Hazza Ali.
Sitra got a lone consolation on the stroke of half-time when skipper Yaya Al Hadj Ousman delivered a header from the face of goal from an assist by Rayen Fourgi Touzri.
With the result, Khaldiya secured a league-best fifth victory but also have two losses as they rose to the top of the standings with 15 points – level with Malkiya but with a superior goal difference.
Sitra suffered their second defeat and remained on six points after six matches.
Meanwhile, Edimar Ribeiro da Costa Junior, Hussain Abdulkarim, and Abdulla Al Khalasi were all on target for Muharraq within a 10-minute span in their game’s closing minutes.
Da Costa Junior put his team ahead with an 83rd-minute penalty.
Muharraq were given their spot kick after it was determined that Hidd’s Adnan Fawaz handled the ball following a corner kick.
Following a VAR check, the penalty was confirmed, and da Costa Junior fired in into the left of the net.
Only four minutes later, Abdulkarim slotted home on a quick counter-attack off a fine through-pass by teammate Abdulwahab Al Malood.
Al Khalasi then applied the nail in the coffin in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.
A short cross from Abdulkarim was not dealt with by the Hidd defence and Al Khalasi took advantage, sending the ball home from the centre of the box with a low strike.
Muharraq claimed their fourth win after six outings as they improved to 14 points for third on the league standings.
They are just a point behind Khaldiya and Malkiya with a game in hand. Hidd dropped to their second loss and stayed on nine points in mid-table.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))