MANAMA (Interstat) — Al Riffa scored two goals in a three-minute span in the second half and held off a late Al Ahli rally Wednesday, April 29, 2026, for a 3-2 victory in a Bahrain Premier League match at Madinat ’Isa Stadium.

Ali Madan opened the scoring in the 27th minute, putting Al Riffa ahead with a right-footed finish. Al Ahli equalized in the 42nd minute when Gabryel found the net with a left-footed strike. Faisal Hasan restored Al Riffa’s lead in the 52nd minute with a right-footed goal, and Vitinho answered for Al Ahli just six minutes later with a left-footed shot that made it 2-2.

Thiago Fernandes delivered the decisive blow in the 89th minute, converting with his right foot to give Al Riffa the win.

Al Riffa improved to 12 wins, 4 losses and 4 draws in league play, and 13-5-5 across all competitions. Al Ahli fell to 6-10-3 in the league and 6-10-4 overall. It was the second meeting between the clubs this season; Al Riffa also won the first matchup, 2-0 on Dec. 20, 2025.

The victory continued a strong stretch for Al Riffa, which entered Wednesday with four wins in its previous five league matches, including a 1-0 victory over A’ali CSC on April 17 and a 3-0 decision against Budaiya on Feb. 19. Its only league loss in that span came April 4 at Al Khaldiya SC.

Al Ahli came in with uneven form, having lost two of its previous three league games. It defeated Bahrain SC 2-1 on April 17 but followed that with a scoreless draw against Malkiya on April 4 and a 0-0 stalemate with Al Shabab on March 14.

Fernandes’ late goal spoiled a spirited comeback effort by Al Ahli, which had battled back from a 1-0 deficit to level the match twice. Al Riffa’s back line tightened after Al Ahli’s second equalizer, and goalkeeper made key saves in the final minutes to preserve the lead.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 draw, and its ELO system gave Al Riffa a 58.80 percent probability to win.