Hidd draw, Muharraq falter in AFC Cup

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s clubs Hidd and Muharraq had mixed results yesterday in their respective matches in the AFC Cup 2021. Hidd played to a 1-1 draw with Al Wahda of Syria in their Group A clash played in the Kingdom, while Muharraq lost to Markaz Balata of Palestine 2-3 in their Group B contest in Amman.

The AFC Cup is Asia’s secondary club tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). This year’s winners automatically qualify for the 2022 AFC Champions League. Hidd and Muharraq are the only two Bahraini teams in this year’s competition.

In Hidd’s match, the group hosts conceded a penalty on the stroke of half-time when Abdulla Abdo handled the ball in the penalty area. Osama Omari stepped up to take the spot-kick for Wahda.

He converted with a right-footed shot to the bottom-left corner. That was enough to give the Syrians the single-goal advantage at the interval. But it didn’t last long, as Hidd were able to equalise just three minutes after the re-start. Nasser Al Shimrani sent home a right-footed shot from close range into the bottom-right of the goal.

Both teams had chances to find a winner but neither could come up with the finishing touches. Wahda, meanwhile, were reduced to 10 men in the fourth minute of stoppage time, after Taha Mosa was given his marching orders after a foul of Hidd’s Saad Al Amer. The game was the first for Hidd in Group A but the second for Wahda.

They had earlier also drawn against AFC Cup defending champions Al Ahed of Lebanon, who Hidd meet in their last game on Thursday. In Muharraq’s match, a Khaled Salem hat-trick helped lift the Palestinians to the victory.

Muharraq had taken the lead in the match with a 23rd-minute goal from Fares Arnaout, but Salem was able to tie the proceedings with his first in first-half stoppage time. Salem then put his team ahead 10 minutes after the restart, but substitute Abdulrahman Ahmedi was able to level the proceedings once more with a goal a further 10 minutes later.

That set the stage for Salem’s third goal in the 71st minute, which eventually turned out to be the winner. The striker poked the ball in from close range off a headed pass by teammate Layth Kharoub.