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Al Shabab through to final 16 of AFC Champions League

Al Shabab progressed to the final 16 of the 2013 AFC Champions League by securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory away at Pakhtakor in Uzbekistan on Wednesday night to keep the UAE flag flying in the competition. Goals from Esam Dhahi and Ciel were enough to secure 2nd place in Group B for Al Shabab with 9 points, and Lekhwiya of Qatar qualified top of the group with 11 points.

Al Shabab got off to an absolutely perfect start, taking the lead within the first minute to stun the home fans. Esam Dhahi put the ball in the back of the net after just seconds of the game kicking off when Haydarov Azizbek’s long ball was helped on by Walid Abbas for Dhahi to arrow home with his right foot, making it 1-0. However, Pakhtakor were back on level terms in the 19th minute through a penalty when Haydarov Azizbek was adjudged to have tripped Igor Sergeev on the byline, and Kakhi Makharadze stepped up to squeeze his spot kick past Al Shabab goalkeeper Ismail Rabee, though the shot-stopper did manage to get a hand to it. A minute later Ciel had a shot from distance to try and restore Al Shabab’s lead, taking a wicked deflection and dipping just over the crossbar for a corner. The first half was played at a frantic pace, with the visitors defending resolutely and Walid Abbas and Mohammed Marzooq in particular putting their bodies on the line with crucial challenges and blocks. At the other end, Ciel and Luiz Henrique continued to threaten Pakhtakor’s back line and Haydarov Azizbek saw his rasping long-range effort flash just wide. In the 33rd minute the Brazilian Luiz Henrique turned expertly on the edge of the area to get a fierce right-footed shot away, but it was deflected just wide of the post for a corner. Al Shabab survived a number of set pieces from Pakhtakor in dangerous areas, including a free kick just outside the area on the stroke of half time, but the teams remained tied at the break.

The game continued its end-to-end action in the second half, as both teams desperately sought the winner which would guarantee them a place in the next stage of the competition. Marcos Paqueta went for the jugular as he brought on the third of his Brazilian attackers, Edgar, in the 52nd minute to add another dimension going forward. In the 55th minute an astonishing shot from the edge of the ‘D’ by Luiz Henrique cannoned back off the crossbar, leaving the woodwork rattling for some time after. In the 61st minute Pakhtakor had a decent chance when Vladimir Kozak curled a free kick just wide of the far post, but three minutes later the visitors were back in front. Ciel’s right-footed free kick from the left was lightly glanced on by the head of a Pakhtakor defender under pressure from the aerial threat of Mohammed Marzooq, but as Ciel’s shot was heading for the back of the net anyway, the goal making it 2-1 was credited to the Brazilian. As the game entered its closing minutes, Al Shabab stood strong to weather the unrelenting storm from Pakhtakor, but in the 84th minute the visitors conceded a dangerous free kick on the very edge of the box and they were forced to play the remaining 6 minutes with 10 men as Mohammed Marzooq was given his marching orders with a red card. Al Shabab had their goalkeeper Ismael Rabee to thank for keeping Gulom Urunov’s set piece out, and the UAE side continued to survive some hair-raising scares in the box as they defended their 2-1 lead, with Rabee again the hero as his reaction save kept a certain headed goal at the near post in added time. After five minutes of nail-biting stoppage time, the referee blew his whistle to confirm Al Shabab’s progression in the AFC Champions League.