FOOTBALL – Riffa claimed a resounding 4-0 derby victory against East Riffa last night while Hidd scored a last-gasp equaliser in a 2-2 stalemate with 10-man Al Najma as matchweek five continued in the 2026-27 Nasser Bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League.
Three players were on target for Riffa while they were gifted an own goal by their rivals in their big win at Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town, which sent them to the top of the table.
Firing in were Wellington Moreira, Ali Madan, and Algerian professional Tayeb Meziani, while Khaled Alsamhari inadvertently sent the ball into his own net.
Hidd, on the other hand, needed a VAR review before Nemanja Kojcic’s leveller in the 10th minute of second-half injury time was confirmed.
The Serbian was initially adjudged to be off-side when he tapped in from close range off a Jamal Rashed cross, but the linesman’s decision was eventually overturned, giving both teams a share of the spoils.
The league’s fifth round of action comes to a close tonight with another two games on schedule at separate venues.
Al Ahli will be going up against Al Khaldiya at Khalifa Sports City Stadium, while two-time defending champions Muharraq, who have been struggling so far to start this new season in the kingdom, lock horns with Malkiya at the National Stadium. Both fixtures are scheduled for simultaneous 7pm kick-offs.
In Riffa’s triumph yesterday, the victors had a majority of the chances in the opening half and their persistence was finally rewarded in the sixth minute of added time.
After Bader Alasam won back possession from East Riffa, Moreira did well to evade his markers and create plenty of space as he charged towards goal.
He then unleashed a low, well-hit shot from the outside edge of the penalty box which flew to the left of the net, beating East Riffa goalkeeper Mahmood Alajmi.
Riffa doubled their advantage in the 58th minute with a stunning bicycle kick from close range by Madan.
The Bahrain international star made the most of an uncleared ball sent in by Moreira from the left and he was perfectly set up by a deflection for his stunning acrobatic effort.
Riffa then added their third in the 72nd minute with Meziani guiding the ball home off a long cross from the right delivered by Brazilian teammate Cleiton Camargos dos Anjos Silva.
His assist was not dealt with and Meziani made no mistake in sending the ball home from the left of the net.
Riffa then pegged the final score two minutes from full time when East Riffa’s Alsamhari fumbled the ball into his own goal off a short cross by Komail Al Aswad that didn’t appear to pose any danger.
With the result, Riffa improved to 11 points to take over in first place on the standings with their third win, while East Riffa suffered their second defeat and stayed on seven markers in mid-table.
Meanwhile, Najma opened their account against Hidd in the third minute of first-half injury time.
Brazilian Jean Sales de Souza Freire was first to the ball off a corner kick and he headed in from an acute angle, making enough contact to score past Hidd custodian Mohammed Sidqi.
Mubarak Mohammed then brought the game back on level terms with a goal in the 68th minute. He hit a left-footed shot from the right of the area, which he slotted into the bottom-right of goal past Najma’s Ammar Mohammed.
But Najma got back in front in the 74th minute when Rickson Barbosa da Conceicao, also from Brazil, headed in off an assist from Hassan Madan.
That set the stage for Kojcic’s late heroics, helping Hidd salvage a point to improve to five so far this season following their second draw.
Najma rose to seven markers with their first stand-off.
Prior to the late equaliser, Najma’s Sayed Muqtada Jawad was given a straight red card for a harsh foul against Hidd’s Moroccan import Aymane El Aouani in the 86th minute.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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