Al Shahaniya came up with a spirited display as they beat a strong Al Markhiya 3-1 in the Play-Off at the Al Thumama Stadium on Sunday and qualified for the 2024-2025 season league’s First Division in style.

While Al Markhiya did rally to bounce back from being a goal down and equalize, Al Shahania hit back with two more late goals to ensure their First Division berth.

The scorers for Al Shahania were Jaime Rubio (17th minute), Mohammed Abu Shanab (83rd minute) and Mohammed Ibrahim (90+6 minute). Al Markhiya’s only goal came in the 75th minute through Driss Fettouhi.

The Play-Off pitted the 11th-placed team (Al Markhiya) in the final standings of 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League against the second-placed team (Al Shahaniya) in Second Division championship.

Al Shahania began the match with intent and at a fast pace looking to attack at every given opportunity and succeeded soon as their 19-year-old left-winger Rubio struck off a rebound. The move was initiated by Alhassan Koroma who passed the ball to his right to Franceso Antonucci to deliver the strike, but his kick saw the ball hit the left post and rebound, and an alert Rubio pounced on the chance to score.

The very next minute, Al Markhiya tried to make amends, but Yusupha Njie’s kick went just off the left post.

A co-ordinated Al Shahania move in the 23rd minute saw Rubio shape up for another big attempt from just outside the box, but his kick sailed well over the crossbar.

The opening half also saw Al Shahania’s goalkeeper Bautista Burke stave off two potential and powerful strikes from Al Markhiya as well.

Post the half-time break, Al Markhiya aimed at stepping up the ante and in the 50th minute Mouhamadou Naby Sarr did succeed in scoring while driving left from inside the box but a foul was ruled as the player had brought down defender Marc Martinez while being man-marked.

Eight minutes later, Al Markhiya in a close action saw Yusupha rise high to make a header connect but couldn’t reach as the goalkeeper grappled to catch the ball.

Al Markhiya’s repeated attempts eventually bore fruit in the 75th minute when a defensive lapse saw Njie grab the ball and pass it to Fettouhi whose left-foot strike was headed into own goal by an evasive Mason.

With parity drawn, the match gained more excitement but just when it seemed that Al Markhiya may try and gain an upper hand, Al Shahania picked up more pace and challenged their rivals.

Soon, Al Shahania surprised their opponents as Mohammad Abu Shanab made a fine diagonal strike to score in the far left corner while beating a diving keeper. Abu Shahab was assisted with the ball by Koroma.

Having conceded the lead again, Al Markhiya now had more worries and close battles for the ball had some of their players throwing up their arms in frustration.

With 10 more minutes of added time, the tussle became thrilling and in fast counter-attack Al Shahania struck one more time as Koroma’s long ball was intercepted by Al Markhiya’s Abdelghani Laallam but he could not hold on and Ibrahim ran in to get to the ball and move into the danger zone to score a wonderful and finest goal of the match – keeping a chasing Laallam at bay and making a right foot flick for the ball to go over an onrushing goalkeeper’s head into the empty goal.

The goal delighted Al Shahania’s many fans at the stadium and left Al Markhiya’s hopes dashed as they now go back to the Second Division.