MANAMA, Nov 5: In the faceoff between Al-Arabi and Al-Riffa, the stage is set for a showdown featuring more than one potential goal. Al-Arabi entered the fray with a resolute determination to claim victory as they visited Riffa in Bahrain at 9:00 pm at Khalifa Sports City Stadium. This pivotal encounter marks the fourth round of the AFC Cup’s third group competitions. In the same group, Nejmeh will meet the Iraqi Al-Zawraa at 7:00 pm. For Al-Arabi, securing a direct qualification ticket to the West Asia region’s semi-finals is the primary objective. Anything less than a victory would significantly diminish their chances of achieving this goal.

Currently, Al-Riffa tops the standings with 7 points, followed closely by Al-Arabi with 4 points and a goal difference advantage over Al-Zawraa. Al-Najma occupies the fourth and final spot with just one point. In this format, the first-place finishers from the three groups, along with the second-best finisher, qualify for the regional semi-finals. Al-Arabi faced a period of instability with declining results in the Zain Premier League championship.

Consequently, they have slipped from the top of the standings to third place. In response to this decline, the Board of Directors has removed German coach Thomas Berdatric from his coaching duties and assigned the task to Bosnian Darko Nestorovic, who will assume leadership after the Al-Riffa match.

Meanwhile, national coach Mohammed Al-Salman has been entrusted with leading Al-Arabi in today’s match. Despite these challenges, Al-Arabi aspires to achieve more than one goal in this match, foremost among them being the restoration of confidence, the ability to put recent local and Asian results behind them, maintaining their chances of qualifying, and, crucially, restoring their reputation as a vital part of the Bahraini team.

Al-Arabi will regain several key players in today’s match, notably Suleiman Abdul-Ghafour, Salman Al-Awadhi, and Sultan Al-Anazi, who had been unavailable in previous rounds due to AFC sanctions following events against Al-Seeb in Oman during the last edition of the tournament. Al-Arabi also boasts a mix of local talents and international professionals with the capability to rectify the team’s situation and rebuild the reputation of the Bahraini team that suffered a three-goal defeat in the last round on home soil. Key contributors among these elements include Ali Khalaf, Hassan Hamdan, Badr Al-Mutairi, Bandar Al-Salama, Hamad Al-Qallaf, and Abdul Rahman Al-Dhafiri, supported by the likes of Hamza Khaba, Mamadou Thiam, Sufyan Bouchard, and Walid Sabbar.

On the other side, Al-Riffa are determined to assert their superiority and secure another victory, moving them closer to securing the top spot.

Hassan Musa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff