Khaldiya and Sitra claim crucial wins

TDT | Manama                                                

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com     

Al Khaldiya and Sitra both claimed crucial victories in their week 19 matches last night to keep their title hopes alive in the 2022/2023 Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League.

Mahdi Humaidan scored a late winner to help Khaldiya edge past defending champions Riffa 3-2, while Sitra won by a similar 3-2 score line against 10-man Al Hala.

Khaldiya moved to a tie on the league standings with leaders Manama on 35 points apiece with their result, although they have played one game more while Manama hold a superior goal difference.

Sitra, meanwhile, improved to 34 points—just one behind the top-ranked pair and tied with Muharraq.

Both Khaldiya and Sitra have just three games remaining.

In Khaldiya’s triumph, also finding the target were Dominique Mendy and Samy Frioui.

Mendy opened the scoring in just the fifth minute after heading home off a Humaidan corner kick.

Riffa’s Amin Fareed Al Shanaina then equalised with a brilliant rocket from several metres outside the penalty box in the 57th minute, but then 11 minutes later, Frioui put Khaldiya back in front with a header, again off a Humaidan corner kick.

Ali Hassan Saeed levelled the scores for the second time for Riffa in the 75th minute with another rocket from outside the penalty box, setting the stage for Humaidan’s heroics in the 82nd minute after a mad scramble in the box.

The star Bahrain national team midfielder pounced on a loose ball and scored from close range, thus securing the win.

The win marked Khaldiya’s 10th in 19 games, while Riffa suffered their fifth loss and stayed on 30 points, as their chances of repeating as champions continue to fade.

Meanwhile, in Sitra’s victory, Seydina Laye Dabo scored from the penalty spot in the 75th minute to separate the two sides.

Earlier, teammates Badar Bashir Abdallah and Osama Yahya Hassan both found the net.

Abdallah opened their account with a header in the 21st minute, and then Hassan scored in the 36th with a shot from the inside edge of the penalty box to double their advantage.

A penalty was awarded to Hala the very next minute, and Abdulaziz Al Mansouri converted the opportunity.

Hala’s Alain Eyenga was then shown a red card after foul on Sitra’s Mishaal Marzouq, but later they were able to equalise through Hussain Mahmoud Jaafar, who scored with a short stab off a cross from Ahmed Hasan Kamil in the 73rd minute.