Players vie for the ball during Al-Qadsiya and Al-Riffa match.

MANAMA, Dec 5: Al-Qadsiya's coach, Zeljko Petrovic, commended his team's performance against Al-Riffa of Bahrain in the second half, highlighting their resilience as they played for 50 minutes with 10 players after Adhbi Shehab was sent off with a red card. The match, part of the fourth round of Group Two in the Gulf Clubs Champions League, ended with a 1-0 victory for Al-Qadsiya, courtesy of a goal by Moroccan Ismail Khafi at Mohammed Al-Hamad Stadium. With the win, Al-Qadsiya now sits in second place with 5 points, while Al-Riffa remains in third with 4 points. Meanwhile, Al-Ettifaq of Saudi Arabia secured their spot in the semifinals with 12 points after defeating Al-Arabi of Qatar 3-0, leaving the latter with just 1 point.

At the post-match press conference, Petrovic described his team's performance as "outstanding," especially given the challenge of playing with a man down. He added that Al-Qadisiyah could have extended their lead had they capitalized on opportunities in the first half. "It wasn’t an easy task against a strong, determined team," Petrovic said, emphasizing his goal of advancing as far as possible in the Gulf Championship and expressing confidence in his players and loyal fans.

Al-Qadisiya's manager, Musaed Neda, also voiced concerns about the refereeing in the Gulf Championship, noting that his team should have been awarded a penalty in the match against Al-Riffa. He also felt that the 9 minutes of added stoppage time were excessive.

On the other hand, Al-Riffa’s coach, Haitham Jatal, remained optimistic about his team's chances of qualifying. Despite the loss to Al-Qadsiya, Jatal stressed that his team’s position hadn't changed and that they would need to collect points in upcoming matches against Al-Ettifaq and Al-Arabi to secure progression. Reflecting on the match against Al-Qadsiya, Jatal acknowledged his team's inability to convert their superiority in the second half into goals.

The competition will pause and resume on February 5, with Al-Qadisiyah hosting Al-Arabi, while Al-Ettifaq will travel to face Al-Riffa.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff