Riffa edge Khaldiya in King’s Cup classic

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

The King’s Cup semi-final between holders Al Khaldiya and Riffa once again produced a dramatic contest, extending the recent rivalry between the two clubs. It finished 3-3 after extra time, before Riffa held their nerve to win 4-3 on penalties and secure their place in the final.

At Khalifa Sports City Stadium, the match unfolded as a series of shifting control rather than sustained dominance, with both sides repeatedly punished for brief lapses in concentration.

Riffa created the first clear opening in the 22nd minute when Lithuanian Dejan Georgijevic was released on the counterattack, but he was denied in a one-on-one that would later carry added significance.

That miss was quickly punished. Al Khaldiya struck in the 26th minute when Clyde O’Connell arrived unmarked at the back post to turn in a low free-kick delivery from Adem Taous. The goal exposed Riffa’s failure to track second-phase movement in the box.

Riffa responded after the interval through sustained setpiece pressure, and it told in the 54th minute when 18-year-old Bader Al Asam reacted quickest in a crowded area to force the ball home and restore parity.

The decisive phase of normal time arrived in the final 20 minutes, where control swung repeatedly and discipline became decisive. In the 78th minute, Riffa were awarded a penalty after Ali Madan was brought down, with VAR confirming contact inside the box. Brazilian Rodrigo Yuri converted with composure to make it 2-1.

The match then spilled over on the touchline as well as on the pitch. Riffa’s head coach Mohammed Mashaan was shown a red card after protests from the bench, while Al Khaldiya’s coach Lassad Al Chabbi was booked as tempers flared on both sides.

Deep into stoppage time, Al Khaldiya were awarded a penalty of their own after Bader Bashir was clipped inside the area during a sustained spell of pressure. Mohammed Al Romaihi stepped up and converted calmly to level the match at 2-2 and send it into extra time.

The pattern continued after the restart, with brief control followed by immediate punishment. Al Khaldiya regained the lead at 3-2 when Ali Abdulla Al Sharqawi was brought down by Yaqoob Diara inside the box, and Gleison Moreira converted the resulting penalty.

But the game refused to settle. Al Sharqawi was later sent off for dissent, adding further instability to the contest. Riffa then capitalised on one final chaotic moment when a set-piece led to a collision between goalkeeper Ricardo Silva and Samuel Toscas. The referee judged the contact to be a foul and awarded a late penalty. Rodrigo Yuri converted again to complete his brace and force penalties at 3-3.

In the shootout, Riffa showed greater composure under pressure, edging it 4-3 to confirm their place in the final of the 49th edition of the King’s Cup.