Ahli book quarter-final place with second straight win

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s Al Ahli secured their place in the quarter-finals of the 4th WAVA Men’s Clubs Volleyball Championship yesterday with a straight-sets victory over Lebanon’s CJS Batroun in Kuwait City. The Group B contest, held at the Kuwaiti Volleyball Federation Hall, ended 3–0 in Al Ahli’s favour, with set scores of 25–19, 25–21, 25–21. This result lifts the Bahraini side to six points from two matches, while Batroun remain without a point after suffering back-to-back defeats.

The opening set was finely balanced at 18–18 before Al Ahli asserted control with solid blocking, with Sayed Mohammed Al Abbar finishing it with a composed spike. The second set followed a similar script, as Al Ahli’s defence forced errors from Batroun, allowing Al Abbar to close it out again. In the third set, Al Ahli raced to a 14–6 lead, and despite a late fightback to 22–20, two double-touch calls sealed the match.

The win guarantees Al Ahli a spot in the last eight, with their final group match against hosts Kuwait SC scheduled for tomorrow at 6 PM, a fixture that will decide the top position in Group B. Coached by Renato Castro of Brazil, Al Ahli are competing in the tournament for the third consecutive edition, having claimed bronze in last year’s championship hosted in Bahrain.

Meanwhile, Bahrain’s other representative, Dar Kulaib, made a winning start in Group C on Thursday, coming back from a set down to beat Oman’s Al Seeb 3–1 (31–33, 25–15, 25–20, 25–16). The team, coached by Ivan Joksimovic and featuring standout performers Enock Mogeni, Mahmoud Abdulwahed, Ali Marhoon, and Ali Habib, dominated the last three sets after a closely contested opener. They return to action today at 4 PM against Kuwait’s Burgan SC.

The championship features 11 clubs from across the region, with the top two from each group, plus the two best third-placed sides, advancing to the quarter-finals. The tournament also serves as a qualifier for the 2026 Asian Volleyball Confederation Men’s Champions League in Indonesia.