FOOTBALL – Riffa overcame a two-goal deficit in the second half to defeat relegated Bahrain Club 3-2 last night in the 22nd and concluding matchweek of the 2025-26 Nasser Bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League.
Riffa fell behind at Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town with goals from Sultan Mansoor Alsalatneh and Fahad Jasim Busharar in the 32nd and 44th minutes, respectively.
But they roared back after the break, with Brazilian professional Rodrigo Yuri Pires Franca sparking their rally with a penalty just eight minutes after the re-start.
Fellow-substitute Dejan Georgijevic from Serbia was then on target twice late on to give Riffa the hard-earned result.
He headed in their equaliser from close range in the 71st minute and then guided the ball home from the face of goal three minutes from the end of regular time.
Riffa came away with their 15th win after 22 matches to end their campaign on 49 points.
They handed Bahrain Club their league-worst 19th defeat, wrapping up their season with just seven points as they make the drop to the Bahrain First Division for 2026-27.
In another match yesterday, Ali Khalifa Al Dossary scored a stoppage-time leveller to give Budaiya a 2-2 draw with Al Ahli at Al Ahli Club Stadium in Mahooz.
Abdulla Al Hashash scored after only four minutes to put Ahli ahead, but Budaiya’s Abdulla Jasim Albahrani brought them back on level terms with a short stab in the 13th minute.
Ahli then went back in front in the 47th minute when Ivory Coast professional Hamed Junior Toure headed in.
But Al Dossary gave Budaiya a share of the points with his own header from close range in the second minute of second-half injury time.
Ahli completed their league schedule with 27 points on the table while Budaiya, who are already confirmed as one of the two teams in the end-of-season relegation play-offs, went to 22 markers.
In last night’s third fixture at the National Stadium in Riffa, skipper Ahmed Yusuf Mohamed drove in the match’s lone goal to lift Hidd to a 1-0 win over Al Shabab, who are joining Bahrain Club in the automatic drop to the first division.
Mohamed hit a stunning strike from the inside edge of the box to help Hidd complete their season with their eighth triumph to rise to 30 points. Shabab suffered their 14th setback and remained on 14 points.
The curtain comes down tonight on the 22nd and concluding round of league action with the coveted title to be decided between defending champions and current leaders Muharraq and their chief rivals Al Khaldiya.
Muharraq will be facing A’ali at the National Stadium while Khaldiya will be taking on Al Najma at Khalifa Sports City Stadium.
Also this evening, Malkiya will be playing Sitra at Al Ahli Club Stadium.
Muharraq hold a slim, one-point advantage over Khaldiya on the standings and will need to claim the full three points to ensure they come away with the championship for the second successive season.
Khaldiya, on the other hand, will be hoping that Muharraq drop points – a scenario in which Khaldiya would need to win steal away the crown.
Should Muharraq lose and Khaldiya draw, they would be tied on 52 points apiece, and the title would be claimed by Muharraq based on goal difference, according to a Bahrain Football Association official.
Goal difference is the second deciding factor in the league’s tie-break rules.
The first is head-to-head results, but Muharraq and Khaldiya had split their two league meetings this season.
Muharraq currently have a superior goal difference of 13 from Khaldiya.
Meanwhile, Najma and Sitra also have plenty to play for as they hope to avoid having to compete in the relegation play-offs.
Budaiya are already in the mini competition, which will feature the ninth and 10th-placed teams on the premier league standings as well as the third and fourth-placed clubs from the first division, which are Al Ettihad and Manama.
Ettihad and Manama will be playing for promotion as they aim to join first division champions Al Ettifaq and runners-up East Riffa in the climb up to the next season’s Nasser Bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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