FOOTBALL – HOLDERS Al Khaldiya routed Al Hala 7-0 last night to emphatically book their berth in the quarter-finals of the 2025-26 His Majesty the King’s Cup – Bahrain’s richest annual football tournament.
Five different players were on target at Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town for the Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League title contenders. DR Congo professional Joel Beya Tumuteka and Gleison Wilson da Silva Moreira spearheaded their team with a brace apiece, while Moroccan Saif-Eddine Bouhra, Nizar Elotmani, and Bahrain national team star Ismaeel Abdullatif added a goal each.
Meanwhile, Bahrain First Division side Al Ettifaq also made it through to the single-elimination tournament’s elite eight after stunning premier league opponents Sitra 2-0 yesterday at The Late Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa Stadium in Arad.
Abdulrahman Ahmadi and Soungalo Bagayoko both scored for Ettifaq in their resounding triumph.
Khaldiya move on to next face the winner of Al Najma’s last-16 clash with A’ali, while Ettifaq will take on the victor of the game between Al Ahli and Budaiya.
In Khaldiya’s win last night, Bouhra opened their account in the third minute with a goal from an acute angle off a short cross from Elotmani on a quick counter-attack. Just three minutes later, Tumuteka put them 2-0 up when he scored from right outside the six-yard box off a pass from the left by Bouhra.
Khaldiya then added their third in the 27th minute with a stunning strike by Elotmani from a few yards out of the box. His effort flew straight into the top-right corner of goal, past the outstretched arms of Hala’s diving goalkeeper Salman Omar Murad.
Four minutes on, Khaldiya were awarded a penalty after Hala’s Hamza Abdulla Attar handled the ball in the box. Tumuteka stepped forward to take the spot kick, which he coolly sent to the left of the net.
Khaldiya then added their fifth through Moreira in the second minute of first-half stoppage time. He played a brilliant one-two with Elotmani, who set him up brilliantly to tap in from close range. Moreira’s strike gave them their commanding advantage heading into the break.
After the re-start, Khaldiya needed just seven minutes to extend the score. Moreira netted his second with a header off a short cross from Bouhra, who showed his class in creating the opportunity for his second assist of the night from the left of the box.
Abdullatif then came on as a late substitute and immediately made an impact. He fired in from close range after receiving the ball in the area from Mohammed Al Rumaihi. Abdullatif needed to outmaneuver two Hala defenders before sending the ball home to peg the final score.
In Ettifaq’s win, Ahmadi and Bagayoko scored on either side of half-time for their team, who were reduced to 10 men in the closing minutes.
Ahmadi put Ettifaq ahead in the eighth minute after a short pass from teammate Hassan Mohammed. Ahmadi needed just a single touch to slot home.
Bagayoko later doubled their lead in the 52nd following a fine assist from teammate Mohamed Hassan, who sent him clear to strike from close range.
Ettifaq’s Ahmed Kouri was later shown a red card deep into second-half stoppage time after a VAR review confirmed he had elbowed Sitra’s Vincent Emmanuel in the face. His expulsion mattered little, however, as Ettifaq had already virtually sealed the win.
Action in the knockout competition continues tomorrow night with the last pair of games in the round of 16. Ahli face Budaiya at Khalifa Sports City Stadium while Najma take on A’ali at the Late Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa Stadium, with both games featuring teams from the Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League.
The two ties are scheduled for 7pm kick-offs. They will confirm the final match-ups of the tournament’s quarter-finals, where defending premier league champions Muharraq take on Al Shabab and Riffa face off with Bahrain Club.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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