Al-Thaid claimed a 2-1 victory over Al-Hamriya in the Round of 128 of the President's Cup on Monday. The visitors took the lead in stoppage time of the first half before Al-Hamriya equalised, only for Al-Thaid to strike again in the second half. H. Alobeidli opened the scoring at 45+1, Y. Ezzejjari added a second two minutes later, and S. Bahia sealed the win at 69.
And here's the thing — the opening exchanges suggested a cagey affair. Al-Hamriya moved forward with purpose but lacked a cutting edge. To be fair, their visitors sat deeper, absorbed pressure, and looked for transitions. The home side created chances but failed to convert, and the balance shifted when the whistle blew for half-time.
By then, the momentum had swung. Al-Thaid came out sharper, and their substitution pattern showed intent. M. Abdelrahman and S. S. Obaid both came on at 46, followed by E. Almesmari and K. Al Shaibani at 57. The coaching staff clearly wanted fresh legs, and the visitors responded. S. Bahia made his mark at 69, and that goal proved decisive.
The yellow cards told a story of mounting tension. Y. Abdulhusain received his booking at 67, S. Pouriya at 73, A. Ahli at 79, and A. Tamboura at 84. Al-Hamriya pushed for an equaliser but ran out of time. Cesinha and M. Olawale came on late in search of a response, but the visitors held firm.
Al-Hamriya's recent form had been encouraging — wins against Al Batah and Al-Fujairah before that 1-2 loss to Palm City. Al-Thaid, meanwhile, showed resilience with results including a 3-2 comeback against Gulf United. This cup exit ends whatever run the hosts were building. They'll need to regroup quickly.
