Riffa coast past Al Shabab

TDT | Manama                                                     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Riffa coasted to a 3-1 victory over Al Shabab last night in the 2023/2024 Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier Football League. Komail Al Aswad, Ali Hassan Saeed and Hashem Sayed Issa were on target for the victors in the contest, which was played at the National Stadium in Riffa.

Al Aswad and Saeed both scored in the first half, while Issa added his goal after the break. Carlos Alberto Gulmaraes Filho scored Shabab’s lone goal after the hour-mark. The match was originally part of this season’s week four schedule.

But it was postponed due to a clash with Riffa’s programme in the AFC Cup continental clubs tournament. With the result, Riffa improved to 16 points following their fifth win in eight matches. They are now just a single point behind solo leaders Al Ahli, who have played one game more.

Shabab suffered their fifth loss and stayed on eight points amongst the bottom clubs on the standings. The league has been ultra-competitive thus far, with only six points separating the top nine clubs on the 12-team table. In their win last night, Al Aswad opened Riffa’s account in the 12th minute.

He intercepted a weak cross-pitch pass by Shabab’s James Olufade Adewale and then rounded Salem Hussain Abdulla. Al Aswad then hit a sensational shot that flew above the head of opposing goalkeeper Hamad Al Doseri into the top-right corner of net. It was a brilliant display of individual skill by the Bahrain national team star.

Riffa made it 2-0 in the 30th minute with a strike from Saeed in the box. He received a lobbed pass from Abdulaziz Khalid on the left wing, coolly controlled the ball on his chest and with his ensuing touch slotted home despite some pressure from his Shabab marker. After the break, Issa made it three in the 57th minute. He was on the receiving end of a low cross from Jassim Al Shaikh took a deflection and fell directly at his feet.

He needed only to slot the ball home from close range, as he was unchallenged by the sluggish Shabab back line. Shabab got a goal back just six minutes later through Filho. He scored with a low effort from the edge of the box that beat Riffa goalkeeper Abdulkarim Al Fardan. Both sides had further chances to add to the score line but neither could finish heading towards the final whistle.