Riffa End Season On High Note

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

The final matchweek of the Nasser bin Hamad Premier League began yesterday with Riffa and Al Hidd claiming wins, while Budaiya and Al Ahli shared the points after a dramatic late equaliser.

At Khalifa Sports City, Riffa produced a stirring second-half comeback to beat already-relegated Bahrain Club 3–2 in a game packed with momentum swings. Bahrain Club struck first in the 31st minute, when Sultan AlSalatneh rose to meet Mohamed Abdulrahman’s free-kick and steered his header into the bottom corner.

They doubled their advantage just before the break. Jassim Jawad slipped the ball across goal and Fahad Busharar finished emphatically from close range, sending Bahrain Club into half-time with a shock 2–0 lead.

Riffa, however, responded immediately after the restart. Rodrigo Yuri converted from the penalty spot to halve the deficit, before Dejan Georgijievic levelled in the 70th minute with a close-range header after sustained pressure. The comeback was completed in the 87th minute when Georgijievic reacted quickest inside a crowded box, turning in a loose ball to complete a dramatic turnaround.

At Bahrain National Stadium, Al Hidd edged Al Shabab 1–0 in a closely contested encounter. Al Hidd were first handed a penalty midway through the first half after Mohamed Msabeh was brought down, but Al Shabab goalkeeper Aqeel Ali produced a superb save to keep the scores level.

The breakthrough arrived just three minutes after the restart. A loose clearance fell kindly to captain Ahmed Yousif, who struck cleanly from close range to secure all three points for Al Hidd.

At Al Ahli Stadium, Budaiya and Al Ahli shared a thrilling 2–2 draw filled with early goals and late drama. Al Ahli struck inside three minutes, when captain Abdulla Al Hashash met a cross from Al Sayed Jawad Haider with a diving header for his 12th goal of the season, moving him level at the top of the scoring charts.

Budaiya responded in the 12th minute through Abdulla Al Bahrani, who forced the ball home amid a scramble in the box. Al Ahli regained the lead shortly after the break when Hamed Toure powered in a header from Hamza Buihamghet’s free-kick.

But Budaiya refused to fold. Deep into stoppage time, Ali Khalifa met a bouncing cross from Hamad Fuad to snatch a dramatic last-gasp equaliser.

Final standings confirmed Riffa in third on 49 points. Bahrain Club and Al Shabab were relegated, while Al Hidd finished sixth on 30 points and Al Ahli seventh on 27. Budaiya head into the relegation play-offs.

Today brings the final matchday of the season, with all games kicking off simultaneously at 5:30 PM.

Sitra face Al Malkiya at Al Ahli Stadium, Al Najma take on Al Khaldiya at Khalifa Sports City, and Muharraq meet A’ali at Bahrain National Stadium.

At the top, Muharraq lead Al Khaldiya by a single point after last week’s 2–1 win in their title showdown. Muharraq will be crowned champions with victory over A’ali, regardless of other results. Al Khaldiya must beat Al Najma and hope Muharraq slip up to steal the title.

At the bottom, survival is on a knife edge. Sitra can secure safety with a win, while anything less could drag them into the play-offs depending on other results. Al Najma must win to have any chance of escaping the drop, with their fate also tied to results elsewhere.