Muharraq and Riffa became the latest teams last night to punch their tickets to the quarter-finals of the 2025-26 His Majesty the King’s Cup – Bahrain’s richest annual football tournament.
Both contenders marched through after posting contrasting victories in their respective round-of-16 fixtures.
Muharraq, the reigning Nasser Bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League champions, romped past Bahrain First Division side Isa Town 6-0 at Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town, while Riffa edged past a battling Manama, also a first division side, 4-2 in a thrilling penalty shootout after regular time ended 2-2 at the Late Shaikh Ali Bin Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa Stadium in Arad.
Following those results, Muharraq next take on Al Shabab in the single-elimination tournament’s elite eight, while Riffa face off with Bahrain Club.
In Muharraq’s big win, five different players made it onto the scoresheet, including Abdulla Al Khalasi, Abdulwahab Al Malood, Hassan Alkarrani, Samy Frioui, and Soufiane Saeed Mahrouk, who had a late brace.
Al Khalasi put Muharraq in front after only five minutes with a rocket from a few yards outside the box. He was operating on the left wing when he unleashed a powerful, left-footed shot that flew to the right of the net. Muharraq were then 2-0 up when Al Malood scored from close range in the 28th minute. He guided the ball in from the face of goal off a cross from the right delivered by Portuguese teammate Elliot Jorge Simoes Inacio. Alkarrani sent his team into the break with a commanding 3-0 cushion after heading in off a corner kick by Inacio in the third minute of first-half injury time.
Muharraq were later awarded a penalty in the 73rd minute after Al Khalasi was brought down in the box by Isa Town’s Mohammed Suleman. Frioui stepped forward to take the spot kick, which he coolly sent home.
Mahrouk added Muharraq’s fifth five minutes from the end of regular time. He slotted in from near the penalty spot following a short pass from Al Khalasi. Mahrouk then completed the rout in the 89th minute when he sent in a rebound from close range after an Inacio free-kick bounced off the woodwork.
Muharraq were dominant in the contest as their newly signed Serbian custodian Vladan Dekic, who was making his debut with the team, was barely troubled.
Meanwhile, in Riffa’s victory, they went ahead when Sayed Mahmoud Almosawi scored with an 11th-minute header from close range following a corner kick. But Manama drew level on the half-hour mark when Serbian Nemanja Nikolic fired into an empty goal after chipping the ball over Riffa goalkeeper Abdulkarim Fardan on a quick counterattack. He was released by a fine pass from Brazilian teammate Pablo Augusto Servo de Carvalho.
Riffa retook the lead after Ali Madan scored from close range in the 50th minute. His left-footed strike came off an assist supplied by Sayed Hashem Issa, who set him up brilliantly to convert with a single touch.
Fardan then made a crucial save in the 57th minute on a quick counter by Manama’s Brazilian Suelynton Thiago Brito. But Manama were still able to draw level in the second minute of second-half stoppage time when substitute Ali Hassan Muftah scored with a weak effort that should have been saved by Fardan. Muftah made the most of a long pass from beyond mid-field by skipper Younes Moussa Hassan.
Madan gestures after firing in for Riffa during open play against Manama
That set the stage for the penalties, where both teams converted both of their first two attempts. Riffa’s Samuel Conceicao Toscas then slipped on a miss, but Muftah also misfired when his ensuing shot came off the right post. Almosawi then hit a thundering kick to the roof of the net, which was followed by a crucial Fardan save on Manama’s Hamza Ahmed. Madan then sealed Riffa’s win with his penalty to the bottom-left corner.
Action in the knockout competition continues tonight with HM the King’s Cup holders Al Khaldiya facing Al Hala and Sitra taking on Al Ittifaq. Then, on Thursday, Al Ahli face Budaiya and Al Najma take on A’ali. All remaining fixtures are scheduled for 7pm kick-offs at different venues.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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