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Late Aboutrika winner fires Bani Yas into Gulf Clubs Championship Final

Bani Yas left it until the last minute to book their place in the Final of the Gulf Clubs Championship 28, defeating Najran of Saudi Arabia 2-1 on aggregate as Mohamed Aboutrika scored the winner for the Abu Dhabi-based side in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Recovering from a 1-0 deficit in the first leg away in Saudi Arabia, Bani Yas become the fifth UAE side to make it to the final of the regional competition in the last four seasons.

Bani Yas got the opening goal they needed in the 19th minute as Andre Senghor controlled a pass on his chest before hitting an emphatic volley into the Najran net, putting Bani Yas 1-0 up on the night and leveling the aggregate score at 1-1. Just four minutes later Haboush Saleh had the ball in the back of the net again for Bani Yas from Christian Wilhelmsson’s through ball, but the effort was correctly ruled out for offside. In the second half Bani Yas survived a scare as Najran’s Ayan went close with a spectacular long-range free kick in the 58th minute, and in the 61st minute Haboush Saleh made a fine mazy individual run but couldn’t get enough power behind his eventual shot to trouble Najran’s goalkeeper. In the 70th minute Nawaf Mubarak saw his corner kick headed just wide by Senghor, and a minute later Bani Yas goalkeeper Mohammad Ghuloom did well to smother the ball at the feet of Hamza Al Dardour, who looked certain to score for the visitors. Bani Yas were again let off the hook when Ayan flashed a great chance wide nine minutes from time, before a nasty head injury to goalkeeper Mohammad Ghuloom stopped play for a lengthy spell as he had to be replaced. It took until the very last minute of the five minutes of stoppage time at the end of the game to find a winner, and it came in quite some style for Bani Yas. Egyptian star striker Mohamed Aboutrika proved his worth as he twisted, turned and twisted again in the box before expertly slotting his right-footed shot in at the far post to give Bani Yas the win right at the death, firing the UAE side into the final.