FOOTBALL – Riffa were crowned champions last night of the 2026 Khalid Bin Hamad Cup.
Riffa secured the title in the second edition of the prestigious football tournament after edging past Muharraq 8-7 in a thrilling penalty shootout following 120 minutes of regulation and extra-time, which remained deadlocked at 1-1.
The decisive affair was played in front of a large crowd of fans from both teams at the National Stadium in Riffa.
Supreme Council for Youth and Sports first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority chairman, and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa was in attendance along with other high-ranking officials.
Shaikh Khalid later presented this year’s Khalid Bin Hamad Cup to Riffa players, team members, and club officials.
Riffa’s Lithuanian goalkeeper Dziugas Bartkus made a crucial save on Waleed Al Hayyam’s spot kick to prevent Muharraq from retaking the lead and keeping the score tied at 7-apiece in the shootout.
That set the stage for the winning penalty, converted by Dutch professional Mohamed Hamdaoui, who made a dream debut with his new Bahraini club.
Earlier, both teams were flawless on their spot kicks, with Mohammed Al Hardan, Samy Frioui, Arther Rodrigues Rezende, Edimar Ribeiro da Costa Junior, Hassan Alkarani, Mohamed Albanna, and Gervasio Olivera Fernandez scoring for Muharraq.
For Riffa, on the other hand, on target prior to Hamdaoui’s clincher were Rodrigo Yuri Franca, Sayed Mahmoud Almosawi, Ali Haram, Ali Hassan, Wellington Moreira, Sayed Hashem Issa, and Samuel Conceicao Toscas.
Riffa took the lead deep into first-half stoppage time when Madan scored from close range.
The Bahrain senior men’s national team star sent the ball home from inside the six-yard box, tapping in off a cross from the left supplied by teammate Moreira, who did well to create the opportunity after battling past Muharraq’s Abdulwahab Al Malood and Bruno Arujo Santos.
After the re-start, Muharraq drew level two minutes into the hour-mark, when Rezende fired in from inside the box after Riffa failed to clear a cross from the right delivered by Soufiane Saeed Mahrouk.
Rezende took advantage of the opportunity and hit a low volley that bounced past Bartkus and into the net.
A VAR review was then conducted on a possible penalty after Riffa’s Gabryel Monteiro de Andrade appeared to be brought down in the area by Muharraq’s Anderson Leite Morais, but it was not given.
Andrade then had a brilliant chance in the ninth minute of second-half stoppage time, but his effort was saved by Muharraq’s veteran custodian Sayed Mohammed Jaafar.
In the second half of extra-time, it appeared that da Costa Junior had won the match for Muharraq, guiding the ball home off a headed pass from substitute Albanna.
But after a VAR check, it was cancelled, much to the delight of Riffa fans.
That paved the way for the tense penalty shootout, which was only decided after 16 kicks.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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