RIT Dubai Dominate De Montfort University 8-1 At HCT

RIT Dubai welcomed De Montfort University to HCT on 18 November 2025 for a league home match kicking off at 9:15pm. In a commanding display over 70 minutes plus added time, RIT Dubai overwhelmed their visitors with an emphatic 8-1 victory.

Deploying a 3-1-4-2 formation, RIT Dubai set up with Smyan Aggarwal in goal, shielded by a back three of Khalifa Albedwawi at right defender, Mohsin Ayaz centrally, and Aws Dashash on the left. Mohamed Hazza operated as the lone central midfielder just ahead of the defence, tasked with breaking up play and distributing the ball. Ahead of him, four attacking midfielders spread across the pitch: Artur Farhutdinov on the right, Nariman Samani and Mohammad AlSayyed centrally, and Masoud Barahoey on the left. Leading the line were Hazza Yateem on the right forward position and Saeed Alhashemi on the left forward. The substitutes available were Mohamed Boudrai, Mohamed Saif, Abdelhamid Darweesh, Armaan Shafique, and Mohamed Albawab.

The match exploded into life within the opening minute when Saeed Alhashemi capitalised on a fluke opportunity to open the scoring, catching the De Montfort defence off guard. Although his initial attempt was saved, the ball somehow found its way into the net, setting the tone for RIT Dubai’s dominance. Almost simultaneously, Artur Farhutdinov tested the visitors’ goalkeeper with a wide effort, signalling the attacking intent of the hosts.

RIT Dubai continued to press relentlessly. By the third minute, Hazza Yateem twice forced saves from the opposition keeper, while Farhutdinov’s attempts went wide, underscoring the visitors’ early defensive resilience. However, at the fifth minute, Yateem finally broke through with a close-range tap-in, expertly assisted by a pinpoint cross from right defender Khalifa Albedwawi. This goal highlighted the attacking threat posed not just by the forwards but also by the advancing defenders.

The sixth minute saw Alhashemi hit the crossbar, narrowly missing a chance to double his tally. But he made amends at the ninth minute, finishing with his right foot after a neat team move and a short pass from Masoud Barahoey on the left. The visitors’ defence was beginning to buckle under the constant pressure.

RIT Dubai’s attacking momentum was briefly checked by an offside call against Mohammad AlSayyed at the twelfth minute. Shortly after, a foul by left defender Aws Dashash at thirteen minutes momentarily disrupted the flow, but Dashash quickly recovered to launch an attempt at the fifteenth minute, which was saved. Masoud Barahoey followed with a saved effort a minute later before Artur Farhutdinov found the net at the sixteenth minute, converting a close-range cross from Nariman Samani inside the box.

The visitors were under siege as Yateem’s high shot at seventeen minutes went over, but the pressure was relentless. At nineteen minutes, Dashash scored a remarkable goal directly from a corner kick, curling the ball in with his right foot, assisted by Farhutdinov’s corner delivery. This rare feat added to RIT Dubai’s growing lead.

Fouls by Khalifa Albedwawi and Hazza Yateem at twenty and twenty-five minutes respectively punctuated the game’s physicality. Farhutdinov and Barahoey continued to test the opposition goalkeeper with saved attempts at twenty-five and twenty-eight minutes, while Alhashemi also had a shot saved at twenty-eight. Farhutdinov’s persistence was evident with another saved effort at the thirtieth minute.

The first half concluded at thirty-five minutes, with RIT Dubai firmly in control. Immediately after the break, at thirty-six minutes, Yateem scored again, this time directly from a corner kick, assisted by Alhashemi’s delivery, showcasing the team’s set-piece prowess. Yateem then had a saved attempt moments later.

Attempts by Farhutdinov and Alhashemi at thirty-eight and forty-three minutes respectively went wide or were saved, while Nariman Samani also missed a chance at forty-five minutes. Smyan Aggarwal made a crucial full-stretch save at forty-seven minutes to deny De Montfort University a rare opportunity.

At the forty-seventh minute, RIT Dubai made two substitutions: Mohamed Boudrai replaced Saeed Alhashemi, and Mohamed Saif came on for the injured Nariman Samani. The changes did not slow the hosts’ attacking rhythm.

Yateem continued to threaten with a saved attempt at fifty-one minutes. Shortly after, Masoud Barahoey scored from a goalmouth scramble at fifty-two minutes, finishing with his right foot following a header assist from Mohsin Ayaz. This goal further emphasised Barahoey’s influence on the game.

At fifty-five minutes, Armaan Shafique replaced Mohammad AlSayyed, and Abdelhamid Darweesh came on for Hazza Yateem, who had been heavily involved throughout. Yateem’s final contribution was a wide shot just before his substitution. An offside call against Barahoey at fifty-six minutes momentarily halted the flow.

De Montfort University managed a consolation goal at sixty-two minutes, a solo effort finished with the right foot, breaking RIT Dubai’s clean sheet but doing little to stem the tide.

Mohamed Boudrai was flagged offside at sixty-three minutes, while Barahoey scored his third goal of the night at sixty-five minutes, a solo strike set up by a long pass from Aws Dashash. This goal cemented Barahoey’s status as the standout performer.

At the same time, Mohamed Albawab replaced Khalifa Albedwawi, adding fresh legs to the defence. Abdelhamid Darweesh and Mohamed Boudrai both came close to extending the lead with efforts that hit the post at sixty-six and sixty-eight minutes respectively.

RIT Dubai’s comprehensive attacking display and clinical finishing ensured a dominant 8-1 victory over De Montfort University. Masoud Barahoey’s hat-trick and overall influence earned him the player of the match accolade, while the team’s fluidity in the 3-1-4-2 formation proved too much for their opponents to handle.