Najma face final outing after elimination from Asian campaign
Bahrain’s Al Najma conclude their 28th Asian Men’s Club League Handball Championship campaign tonight when they face Saudi Arabia’s Khaleej Club at 8pm Bahrain time in Sabah Al Salem, Kuwait.
The match comes after Najma were mathematically eliminated from semi-final contention following a 24–28 defeat to Kuwait’s Burgan Sports Club in their penultimate fixture on Friday, a result that confirmed they could no longer finish inside the top four of the seven-team preliminary standings.
Najma remained in contention deep into a closely fought encounter; Mohammed Habib Ahmed converted a penalty to level the scores at 23–23 in the closing stages. However, Burgan responded with a late surge to seal the win and end the Bahraini side’s hopes of progression.
Their record now stands at one win, one draw and three defeats, a campaign that also ended their chances of qualifying for the 19th IHF Men’s Handball Club World Championship in Egypt later this year.
The tournament has unfolded under newly appointed head coach Abdulrahman Mohamed, who took charge ahead of the competition.
Tonight’s fixture against Khaleej carries no impact on qualification, with the preliminary phase concluding today before the top four teams advance to the semi-finals, which begin tomorrow. The medal matches are then scheduled for Wednesday. Burgan Sports Club currently lead the standings on nine points, with Al Khaleej second on the same tally but behind on goal difference. The two Qatari sides, Al Arabi and Al Duhail, sit third and fourth respectively on five points, separated only by goal difference.
Khaleej will also feature familiar Bahrain-linked names, including internationals Hussain Al Sayyad and Mohammed Habib Naser, both former Najma players.
Across the tournament, Najma showed spells of competitiveness but struggled to turn close games into consistent results, a pattern also reflected in their recent domestic league semi-final exit earlier this month.
Related Posts