FOOTBALL – MUHARRAQ were last night crowned champions of the 2025-26 Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League.
Muharraq secured back-to-back titles after edging past A’ali 1-0 in their thrilling, season-ending fixture played at the National Stadium in Riffa.
Soufiane Saeed Mahrouk scored the winning strike in the 51st minute. His goal was enough to give Muharraq the all-important three points, as they finished the campaign just one point ahead of chief championship rivals Al Khaldiya, who pushed them to the limit until yesterday’s final whistle as they too were winners in their last assignment.
Khaldiya beat Al Najma 3-1 at Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town, but it was not enough to steal away the crown.
Following yesterday’s game between Muharraq and A’ali, the repeat titlists were presented their respective awards and the Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League champions’ trophy by Bahrain Football Association (BFA) president Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and BFA vice-president Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali bin Isa Al Khalifa.
Receiving the top prize on behalf of Muharraq’s football team and club were veteran goalkeeper Sayed Mohammed Jaafar and star defender Waleed Al Hayyam.
“So happy, we deserve this!” Muharraq head coach Fernando Manuel de Jesus Santos from Portugal said after the match.
“We were the best team in the league this season – even with some criticisms. Best attack, best defence, and maximum points.
“The players deserve a lot, and in this league, they fought.”
Muharraq were first to threaten last night with Hussain Abdulkarim heading narrowly over the crossbar in the 13th minute. They then nearly scored in the 21st minute when a Samy Frioui header off a pass from Portuguese import Elliot Jorge Simoes Inacio was punched away by A’ali custodian Omar Salem.
Muharrraq’s Serbian goalkeeper Vladan Dekic also made a stunning save in the 24th minute on a powerful attempt on a quick counter-attack by A’ali’s Yassine Karim Benmansour.
Salem had another key stop in the 37th minute off a rocket by Inacio, before Brazilian teammate Bruno Araujo Santos shot wide from an acute angle inside the six-yard box just three minutes on.
A’ali midfielder Sekou Amadou Kaba came close to breaking Muharraq’s hearts when he hit the left post right before half-time after being set up by teammate Alvaro Jordao da Silva Cardoso from Portugal.
But after the re-start, Muharraq needed just six minutes to go in front – and it ultimately proved to be the title-clinching effort.
Mahrouk scored from the right of the penalty box with a low, left-footed shot that he sent to the bottom-right corner of the net past a diving Salem. Providing the assist was Brazilian professional Arther Rodrigues Rezende, who had been instrumental in Muharraq’s success this season and who netted a brace in their crucial 2-1 triumph over Khaldiya in both teams’ penultimate fixture last week – an outcome that put Muharraq ahead of their opponents in the title race.
Neither side added to the score from there, although both had chances and A’ali pressured until the very end – keeping Muharraq and their fans on their toes as Khaldiya would have come away with the crown had Muharraq dropped points.
Muharraq claimed their 17th win in 22 outings to end the season with 55 points, while they handed battling A’ali their ninth loss to wrap up an impressive campaign that saw them finish fifth overall from 12 clubs with 31 points.
Meanwhile, in Khaldiya’s win against Najma yesterday, DR Congo professional Joel Beya Tumuteka put them in front in the sixth minute with a header off a cross from the left sent in by Tunisian teammate Adem Taous.
Moroccan playmaker Saif-Eddine Bouhra later doubled their advantage in the 51st minute after slotting home from inside the area following an assist from teammate Sayed Mahdi Sharaf.
Najma got a goal back eight minutes from the end of regulation when French striker Zachary Marvin Hadji scored with his own header from close range off a cross by Redha Hasan Marhoon.
But Khaldiya sealed their win in the first minute of second-half stoppage time when their veteran strike partnership of Mohammed Al Rumaihi and Ismaeel Abdullatif connected to make it 3-1. Abdullatif passed to a charging Al Rumaihi into the box, and he guided the ball in.
Khaldiya registered their 18th triumph as they signed off from this campaign with 54 points. They dealt Najma their 12th loss to remain on 22, as Najma will now compete alongside Budaiya in the end-of-season relegation play-offs, which also features Bahrain First Division sides Al Ettihad and Manama.
In a third game last night on the final matchday of the 2025-26 Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League, Sitra beat Malkiya 1-0 at Al Ahli Club Stadium in Mahooz.
Ali Abdulrasool Alasfoor headed in the winner in the 11th minute off a cross from Mauritanian teammate Bakaye Wade.
Sitra went to 27 points with their seventh victory to avoid the bottom four while Malkiya suffered their seventh defeat although remained fourth on the table with 33 points.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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