Al-Fahaheel Continues Its Resurgence in the Zain Premier League

Al-Fahaheel continued their resurgence in the Zain Premier League football competition by securing their second consecutive victory, thrashing neighbors Al-Sahel 4-0 at the Al-Ahmadi Youth Stadium on Sunday, as part of the fourth round.

The “Reds” moved up to fifth place with six points, while Al-Sahel remained on four points.

In the second half, Syrian player Hammad Mahmoud added the second goal, capitalizing on a mistake by Al-Sahel’s Nasser Al-Qahtani in the 67th minute. Substitute Hamad Al-Taweel extended Al-Fahaheel’s lead with a third goal in the 84th minute, following a strong effort from Hammad, who returned to complete the four-goal tally after a well-organized attack and a beautiful assist from Mohammed Naim.

Al-Shabab moved up to fourth place after handing host Al-Salmiya their second defeat of the season with a 2-0 win on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Serbian coach Zeljko Petrovic has emerged as a strong candidate to take charge of Al-Arabi, replacing Croatian Goran Sablic, who is reportedly close to leaving the club following the “Green” team’s declining results since the start of the season.

Al-Arabi began their campaign with what could be the worst start in their league history, collecting just three points from their first four matches without securing a single victory. Prior to that, the team was eliminated from the AFC Champions League Two qualification playoff after suffering a 4-1 defeat to Indian hosts East Bengal.

Petrovic previously led Qadsia in the previous season, guiding them to the Gulf Club Champions Cup final before losing to Iraqi side Duhok 2-1 on aggregate over two legs.

Supporters within Al-Arabi believe Petrovic is the most suitable candidate to lead the team in the upcoming phase, as the club needs a coach who emphasizes tactical discipline on the pitch—a quality the “Greens” have lacked since the beginning of the season.

Conversely, some argue that the Serbian coach favors a conservative approach, leaning more toward defense than attack, which may not suit a club of Al-Arabi’s stature, which aims to compete on multiple domestic and international fronts this season.

The decision regarding Sablic’s fate—whether he is dismissed or retained—is expected to be finalized by last night or at the latest today, as the team is scheduled to travel to Tajikistan on Wednesday to compete in Group Two of the AFC Challenge League against hosts Istiklol, Lebanese side Al-Najma, and Syrian team Al-Hamraa.