Al-Yarmouk defeats Al-Shamiya and tops the table with Salibikhat's participation
Al-Yarmouk’s first football team rose to the top of the First Division table of the Zain League after defeating Al-Shamaliya 3-0. Al-Yarmouk topped the standings on goal difference ahead of Al-Salmiya, which had the same points tally (35 each), after the latter beat Khaitan 1-0. Meanwhile, Al-Sahil, which had led the table in the previous two rounds, dropped to third place after drawing 0-0 with Burqan. At the same time, Al-Jazira maintained its place in the top four with a 3-0 win over Sporty, concluding the 16th round of the competition.
With the end of the 16th round, which featured four matches, the standings shifted, particularly among the top three. Al-Yarmouk led with 35 points, ahead of second-placed Al-Salmiya on goal difference despite having the same points. Al-Sahil came third with 34 points, followed by Al-Jazira with 31 points. Khaitan was fifth with 18 points, Burqan sixth with 15 points, Al-Shamaliya seventh with 10 points, and Sporty eighth and last with 3 points.
Return to the top: Al-Yarmouk began to regain its distinctive form under the guidance of its new coach, Portuguese João Mota, who took over from national coach Dhafer Al-Adwani, who returned to manage Al-Nasr. After a shaky start to the league resumption and a loss to Al-Sahil in the league’s top clash in Round 14, Al-Yarmouk secured a deserved victory against Al-Shamaliya. The duo of foreign players Isaac Mbinaz and Vitor starred in scoring Al-Yarmouk’s three goals, with the former netting twice and the latter scoring once.
Al-Salmiya challenges the leader: In another match, Al-Salmiya also managed a hard-fought 1-0 win over Khaitan in a strong encounter. Al-Salmiya is coached by Portuguese manager Miranda, the former coach of Khaitan. Al-Salmiya secured the crucial three points from the match thanks to a goal by Nasser Al-Filakawi in the 94th minute of stoppage time, snatching vital points in their campaign to secure one of the two promotion spots to the Premier League next season.
Al-Jazira continues strong performances: Al-Jazira continued its impressive form, defeating rivals Sporty 3-0 in the same round. Al-Jazira’s goals came from Isaac Jimenez, Charles Yao, and Hadi Sha’bi, after the winning side showed relative dominance during the match, which could have ended with a larger margin given the chances missed by their forwards.
Al-Sahil slips: Al-Sahil, which had held the league lead for two consecutive rounds, dropped to third place after drawing 0-0 with Burqan. The team, led by national coach Ali Abdul-Razzaq, failed to find the back of the net against their opponent, while Burqan delivered a solid performance deserving of the draw.
