Both teams had already been eliminated from the competition, with Al Najma sitting third with four points while Al Ittihad had a single point in last place going into Matchday Six. Al Najma had won the reverse fixture 2-1 in Abu Dhabi back in March.

With pressure off, the two sides set out to entertain and indeed the crowd at the Bahrain National Stadium were treated to a fine display of attacking football with chances aplenty at both ends throughout the opening period.

With the two teams assured of finishing in the top two spots, Al Jazeera held the relative advantage with 13 points to Kuwait SC’s 10. The hosts needed to better Al Jazeera’s 1-0 victory from the reverse fixture to top the group, while a one-goal-difference victory would also see them through as best runners-up.

Both sides started conservatively, with Kuwait SC the more adventurous of the two. Faisal Zayed tried his luck from distance but missed the target before Shereedah Al Shereedah forced the first save of the match from Al Jazeera goalkeeper Ahmad Abdelsattar 18 minutes in.

Al Wehdat will play Lebanon Al Ahed FC , the Group C winners, in the two-leg semi-finals scheduled for June 17 and 24.

With a two-point advantage over their opponents, Al Wehdat came into the final Group A game needing just a draw to secure a place in the next stage. Only a win could do for Hilal Alquds, while Syria’s Al Jaish hoped for a draw as they faced Nejmeh in the other group game.

The game got on to a pacey start, with Al Wehdat dominating the early proceedings, but with clear-cut chances few and far between.

Al Jaish advanced as the best second-placed team on the fairplay rule after being tied with Kuwait SC on points and goal difference. However, a lower yellow card count took the Syrian side through to a semi-final against Al Jazeera of Jordan, the Group B winners.

The Lebanese side started on the front foot and had their first sight of goal within four minutes when Hussein Zein supplied a through ball for Mohammed Kdouh whose shot from a tight angle hit the side netting.

It was, however, the visitors from Bahrain who opened the scoring 10 minutes later. Sayed Mohamed advanced down the right and whipped a cross for Isa Abdulbari. The club captain rode highest to head home his third goal of the 2019 AFC Cup and put Malkiya in front.

The 2014 AFC Cup winners, Qadsia, needed a win in their final group game to secure second place and stand a chance of competing for the best runners-up ticket to the next round, whereas Al Suwaiq had already been eliminated from the competition.

Goalkeeper Hamad Al Khalidi was tested early on, when the Qadsia defence struggled to clear the ball away following a set-piece and Tiago Lopes tried to poke in from close range, but the Kuwaiti goalkeeper was well positioned and made the save.

This will be the first time three female referees officiate in the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) club competitions, marking a new milestone in Asian refereeing.

The trio had to pass a demanding fitness test, matching the requirements for men officials before being selected and their appointment is a timely boost, as they are also part of 12 Asian match officials representing the AFC at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup France in June.