FOOTBALL – Holders Al Khaldiya lock horns with Riffa tonight as the semi-finals kick off in the 2025-26 His Majesty the King’s Cup – Bahrain’s richest annual football tournament.
Two of the kingdom’s premier football clubs will be taking to the pitch at Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town for the first of the two fixtures in this stage of the competition.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 5.20pm.
This evening’s clash will be another exciting meeting between Khaldiya and Riffa, who just last weekend played a thriller in matchweek 17 of the 2025-26 Nasser Bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League.
Khaldiya won the head-to-head following a stunning injury-time goal by their Moroccan professional Saif-Eddine Bouhra, which came after his attempt on a second-half penalty was saved by Riffa’s substitute goalkeeper Abdulkarim Fardan.
Fardan, however, was later sent off in the match, being one of three Riffa players who were given their marching orders, leaving them with eight on the field.
The other semi-final in this year’s His Majesty the King’s Cup will be between reigning Nasser Bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League champions Muharraq and Al Ahli. It will be played at the same venue, starting at the same time.
Khaldiya made it through to the last four after defeating A’ali 2-0 in the quarters. Riffa, on the other hand, were big 4-1 winners against Bahrain Club in their contest in the round of eight.
Muharraq powered through with a 2-0 triumph over Al Shabab, while Ahli edged past Al Ettifaq 4-1 in a penalty shootout after the two teams remained deadlocked at 2-2 at the end of regular time.
The His Majesty the King’s Cup featured teams from both the Nasser Bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League and the Bahrain First Division. Games from the opening stage have been played in knockout format.
Khaldiya won last season’s edition after edging past Sitra 3-2 in the final, played in April of last year.
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