Champions Ittihad, who are assured of finising top of the league ladder at the half way stage, were lucky to escape from the Hugo Chavez Stadium with a point in a 2-2 draw, and their unbeaten record still intact as Tahaddi gave them a real run for their money, twice being pegged back in Benina.

Tahaddi v Ittihad 2-2
(al Mashaity 4’ 55’) ( al Laafi 44’, Zuway 79’)

Ittihad went into the game hoping for an eighth consecutive win as they sought to extend their lead at the top, but they seem to have forgotten that Tahaddi, though struggling against relegation, tend to perform much better against the bigger clubs in the league, with victories against Nasser and Madina earlier this season to show for it.

The home team started much the better side and took an astonishing early lead. Intricate play down the right lead to the ball being crossed in, and Haani al Mashaity snuck in to loft the ball over Muftaah Ghazala.

Ittihad were left reeling and faced a real onslaught from the Panthers, Ya’aqoub Abdallah and Muhammad Sheklawoon going close for the home side.

Tehaa always looked like getting back into the game, though and they equalised a minute before the interval. Waleed al Khatroushi received the ball in the middle of the park from Maher al Hannachi and his stinging long range effort could not be held by Sulaiman al Saadiq; Riyadh al Laafi was on hand to steer the ball home for the equaliser.

Ahmed al Sanfaaz’s side never gave up hope of getting a win from this game, and they started the second half just as well as they had the first. Omar al Aalim, who had an excellent game on the left, got past two players and squared the ball across the box to al Mashaity, who took a touch before finding the bottom corner from 18 metres out.

Ittihad were on the ropes once more, but they are never a beaten team until the final whistle, and they pushed hard for an equaliser. A long ball over the top found al Laafi who turned and crossed for Ahmed Zuway, whose diving header found the bottom corner from 10 metres.

It was a hard-earned point for Ittihad, and an excellent performance and something to build on for Tahaddi who go into the mid-season break in 13th place. They need to turn in more performances like this to gather the points they require to stay safe. The draw will bring Ittihad back down to earth despite their three-point gap (and still with a game in hand) over Ahli Tripoli at the top of the ladder.

Swaihili v Olomby 0-0

Swaihili failed to push themselves off the bottom of the table as they continue their search for a first league win of the season, after a dull goalless draw with Olomby at the July 9 Stadium.

Jemail Khemir missed the home side’s best chance of the first half, shooting wide with a decent sight of goal. Aymen Rhifi was kept moderately quiet at the back by Keba Paul Koulibaly as neither side forced the issue in the opening 45.

Into the second half, and the deadlock showed no signs of being broken as neither side could muster a decent shooting opportunity. Khalid al Deelawi’s freekick went close, but Muhannad Sheawah had it covered.

Swaihili are winless and need to win away at Nasser to avoid being at the bottom of the table at the season’s midway point. This was Olomby’s ninth draw of the season, and stay in 11th place. Makes one feel that Jamaal Ben Nour’s side are too cautious at times, and perhaps a more cavalier attitude would see more of these draws converted into wins.

Bara Taufik