FOOTBALL – BAHRAIN’S Muharraq secured a hard-earned victory last night while Al Khaldiya suffered a disheartening defeat in their respective matchweek two fixtures in the 2026-27 AFC Champions League (ACL) Two.
Muharraq were on target twice in the second half in their 2-0 victory over 10-man Golgohar Sirjan FC of Iran at Al Seeb Stadium in Muscat, Oman. Khaldiya, on the other hand, bowed to Kuwait SC of Kuwait 1-3 at Jaber Al Mubarak Al Sabah Stadium in Kuwait City.
Muharraq came away with their first three points in Group B of the ACL Two’s preliminary stage while Khaldiya suffered their first loss in Group A to stay on a single point from an opening draw.
Both sides are back in action in the tournament on October 28 when Muharraq travel to the UAE capital to take on Al Jazira FSC and Khaldiya host Al Wahda FC, also from the UAE, at home.
The ACL Two is the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) second-tier club competition. Khaldiya and Muharraq are the kingdom’s representatives for the second straight year, and they are part of a 32-team roster in this ongoing group stage.
In Muharraq’s triumph last night, finding the net for the two-time defending Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League champions were Brazilian Arthur Rezende and Argentinean Facundo Tobares.
Rezende fired in from the penalty spot just three minutes after the break after Muharraq were awarded a spot kick when Edimar Ribeiro da Costa Junior was brought down in the box by Golgohar’s Mohammad Masoumi. Rezende made no mistake with his effort, which he coolly tucked into the bottom-left corner of goal.
Just seven minutes later, the Iranians went down a man when Masoumi was given his second yellow card of the night for another foul against da Costa Junior.
Muharraq tried to make the most of their advantage and their efforts were finally rewarded in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time when Tobares drove in a low effort that bounced off the left post and into the net. Tobares fired in from just outside the penalty box as Golgohar custodian Mohammadreza Akhbari could only watch.
With yesterday’s result, Muharraq climbed out of the bottom of the Group B table to third, tied on three points apiece with FC Arkadag of Turkmenistan, who lost 1-2 to the UAE’s Jazira in last night’s other divisional clash, played at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile, in Khaldiya’s defeat away to Kuwait, the Bahrainis conceded twice on either side of the interval before Gleison Wilson da Silva Moreira scored their lone consolation 10 minutes from the end of regulation.
Firing in for the Kuwaitis were Faisal Al Harbi in the opening minute of first-half injury time and later Yousef Al Sulaiman in the 65th minute.
Khaldiya’s hopes of a late equaliser were dashed six minutes into second-half stoppage time when Al Sulaiman completed his brace to peg the final score.
Khaldiya dropped to last in the Group A standings, tied on one point apiece with PFC Nasaf from Uzbekistan, who lost 1-2 at home yesterday to the UAE’s Wahda at Markaziy Stadium in Qarshi.
The ACL Two’s group battles – being played in home-and-away round-robin format – continue until December 9 before moving into the round of 16, set between February 9 and 18 in 2027. The quarter-finals and semis are set for March 2 to 18 and April 6 to 14, respectively, with the final pencilled in for May 15 next year.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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