FOOTBALL – Riffa punched their tickets to the final of the 2025-26 His Majesty the King’s Cup last night following a drama-filled 4-3 victory in a tense penalty shootout against last year’s tournament winners Al Khaldiya at Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town.
Bahrain’s senior men’s national team superstar Ali Madan converted the decisive spot kick that gave Riffa the win after an eventful contest that went down to the wire.
The two teams battled to a 2-2 deadlock at the end of 90 minutes but then Gleison Wilson Moreira put Khaldiya ahead with a penalty in the first half of extra-time.
That appeared to send them towards a stunning win, but Riffa struck back in the closing seconds.
After Khaldiya were reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of Ali Alsharqawi in the 125th minute, Riffa were awarded their own penalty on the ensuing free-kick when Khaldiya goalkeeper Ricardo Manuel da Silva fouled Riffa’s Brazilian professional Samuel Conceicao Toscas on an aerial challenge in the box.
Rodrigo Yuri Pires Franca, also from Brazil, coolly fired in for Riffa from the spot, setting the stage for the shootout.
With yesterday’s result, Riffa booked their place in this season’s His Majesty the King’s Cup title-decider, which has yet to be scheduled by the Bahrain Football Association.
There, they will face the winners of the competition’s other semi-final, to be played this evening between reigning Nasser Bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League champions Muharraq and 2023-24 His Majesty the King’s Cup winners Al Ahli.
Muharraq’s clash with Ahli is scheduled for a 5.20pm kick-off and it will be played at the same venue.
Riffa are back in the final for the first time since the competition’s 2020-21 edition, when they lifted the coveted trophy after defeating Ahli in the title-clincher.
In last night’s shootout, Moreira and Riffa’s Vinicius Vargas dos Santos kicked things off by successfully sending in their teams’ opening attempts.
But then Moroccan Saif-Eddine Bouhra failed to convert for Khaldiya as he hit the crossbar, giving Riffa the opportunity to go ahead, and Franca obliged.
Riffa’s Lithuanian goalkeeper Dziugas Bartkus then saved the shot of Moroccan Ayman Dairani, and da Silva did the same against Riffa’s Ali Haram.
Tunisian Adem Taous and Ali Hasan Saeed were then on target for their respective clubs, before Mohammed Al Rumaihi scored for Khaldiya to tie it at 3-3 with one final kick remaining for Riffa.
Madan provided the heroics, calmly sending the ball home to the left of the net and pushing Riffa through to the final.
Earlier yesterday, Khaldiya and Riffa traded jabs during regulation and extra-time, which already featured a total of four penalties – two for each side.
Khaldiya’s Irish import Clyde O’Connell put Khaldiya on the board in the 26th minute.
He took advantage of some porous Riffa defence, allowing a free-kick from the left delivered by Taous to fly across the face of goal for O’Connell to stab the ball home.
That was enough for a slim advantage heading into the break.
In the 54th minute, Taous fouled Franca on the right wing, leading to a free-kick that set up Riffa’s equaliser.
Bader Husain Alasam was the scorer, tucking in a volley inches from the net after Khaldiya failed to deal with Wellington Moreira’s set-piece.
Later, Riffa were given a penalty after Madan was clipped by Khaldiya’s Mohammed Adel as he charged into the box.
Franca stepped forward and fired in the 79th minute to give Riffa a 2-1 edge.
Khaldiya were then awarded a penalty of their own several minutes into stoppage time when Badar Bashir was brought down in the area by Riffa’s Hussain Al Eker. Al Rumaihi took on the responsibility and confidently fired to bring the game back on level terms.
In extra-time, Khaldiya were given another penalty after Riffa’s Yacouba Ichiaka Diarra took Alsharqawi down in the box, and Moreira punched in his 109th minute shot.
But after Alsharqwi was shown red as the match neared the final whistle, Riffa breathed new life on the very next play as da Silva inadvertently punched the face of Toscas as he challenged the free-kick into the area.
Franca was again on target from the penalty spot, and his 128th minute goal paved the way for the shootout.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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