News Center

Al Jazira lose to the Saudi side Al Ahli 7-5 in the AFC last 16

Abu Dhabi-based team Al Jazira lost to Saudi Arabia team Al Ahli 7-5 in penalty shootout in the AFC Champions League last 16 match held tonight at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The two teams ended the official time with a 1-1 draw and 3-3 after an extra time to resort to penalty shootout fot the Saudi team to win 7-5 in aggregate.

The hosts dominated the opening minutes trying to surprise the visiting team with an early goal but could not score. Al Ahli started to come back into the game making some good attempts but all their work was in vain. But it was the Saudi side who took the lead in the 20th minute through the Brazilian player Marcello Camacho who received a lovely pass from his teammate Victor inside the six yard area and he did not hesitate to send it into the far right hand corner with a strong left footer. Inspired by this early goal, the visitors were the better team after putting more pressure on their rivals' defense trying to add more goals. At the same time, the home squad did not give up but made some nice efforts and their work was soon paid dividends when their Brazilian striker Ricardo Oliveira brought the game back into parity in the 32nd minute with a strong and perfect header off the cross ball switched by Ibrahima Diaky from the right flank. The other Brazilian front liner Bare was to make it 2-1 when he was put clear by Ibrahima Diaky with only the goalkeeper to beat but he shot wide five minutes later.

The two teams went on their attempts in the last minutes but they squandered all the chances that came their way to end the first session with a 1-1 draw.

In spite of the several attacks made by both teams after the break, the result remained the same. Al Jazira's midfielder Subait Katir was replaced by Sultan Barghash due to injury in the 60th minute. The substitute Barghash made a perfect pass two minutes later for the Argentinean midfielder Delgado to drive it home giving the hosts a 2-1 lead. Al Jazira's Brazilian coach Caio Junior brought in Ahmad Dada afterwards to play instead of Bare. But the other substitute of Al Ahli Emad Al Hosani leveled the score in the 75th minute. The visitors got an invaluable opportunity in the 82nd minute when Al Jazira's goalie Ali Khusaif committed a severe error for Victor to collect the ball but he sent it into the hands of the custodian.

The two teams ended the first half with a 2-2 draw to go into a 30-minute extra time. Oliveira came close to score in the last minutes of the first extra time but he sent the ball just near the upright. But the Brazilian striker Oliveira came to compensate for this big chance later on when he scored the winner in the 114th minute with a strong shot from inside the box. Al Jazira's joy did not live long for Victor to dash their hopes with a left strong volley from outside the box to make it 3-3 and restore the match to the penalty shootout. 

Al Ahli scored four penalty kicks through Camacho, the goalkeeper Abdullah Maayouf, Yasser Al Fahmi and Victor and lost only once through Paulo while Al scored via Sultan Rashid and Khamis Ismail and missed two penalties through Ricardo Oliveira and Lucas Neil for the Saudi side to win 7-5.