Sayed Ammar Al Wadaei confident ahead of Barbar’s Golden Square semi-finals

Barbar will be looking to pull off an upset against defending champions Al Najma when the Golden Square semi-finals of the 2025–26 Khalid Bin Hamad Bahrain Handball League begin tomorrow.

Despite finishing fourth in the regular season with 46 points (13 wins, 7 losses) and losing both meetings against Najma this campaign, Barbar enter the best-of-three series believing they can still make their season memorable with a place in the final and a possible push for a seventh league title.

Najma, however, arrive as clear favourites after topping the regular season with 56 points and winning both head-to-head encounters against Barbar this season.

Speaking to The Daily Tribune, Sayed Ammar Alwedaei acknowledged the challenge but insisted his side will approach the tie with belief.

“The match will definitely be difficult against the title holders, who have experienced players, but we believe in our chances and we’ll play to qualify for the final,” he said.

He added that the team is focused solely on the immediate task rather than long-term outcomes.

“We can’t think about the final right now — our focus is fully on the first match against Al Najma,” he said.

Alwedaei also pointed to the squad’s motivation to add another chapter to the club’s history.

“As players, we have the ambition to achieve a new accomplishment to add to the club’s history. We hope Allah grants us success in achieving it and making our fans happy,” he added.

He noted that recent international duty has boosted morale, with several players returning after Bahrain’s GCC Games success.

“The national team always makes us proud with its results, and our players are a source of pride for us. Insha'Allah, they’ll help us achieve victory.”

The other semi-final will see Al Shabab face Al Ahli in a closely matched contest. Shabab finished second in the regular season with 55 points (17 wins, one draw, two losses), while Ahli followed closely in third with 54 points (17 wins, three losses).

The series begins tomorrow with a double-header: Najma face Barbar at 5:30pm, followed by Shabab against Ahli at 7:30pm. The second round of matches will take place on Thursday, with Ahli meeting Shabab at 5:30pm and Barbar taking on Najma at 7:30pm. If a third game is needed, it will be played next Saturday, again starting with Najma vs Barbar at 5:30pm and Shabab vs Ahli at 7:30pm. All matches are scheduled to be held at Khalifa Sports City in Isa Town.