Qatari giants Al Sadd were sweating on their place in the AFC Champions League last 16 after the hosts were held to a dramatic 2-2 draw by Nasaf FC in the Group B clash yesterday. The stalemate ensured Uzbekistan’s Nasaf confirm their place in the next round as group B winner.
Al Sadd, who needed to win to boost their own hopes of a place in the Round of 16, took a fifth minute lead through Mateus Uribe but two goals in seven minutes late in the match from Jambbuk Jighauri proved crucial in the outcome of both the game and the group.
Baghdad Bounedjah levelled for Al Sadd four minutes into injury time but the point earned coupled with Sharjah’s 2-1 defeat at the hands of Al Faisaly from Jordan means Ruzykul Berdyev’s side advance as winners of the group with 11 points from their six games.
Al Sadd finished second in the group on eight points and will now have to wait to see if that is enough to earn the two-time Asian champions one of the three best runners-up slots in the knockout rounds. To go through, the Wolves require Pakhtakor to beat Al Fayha and for local rivals Al Duhail to defeat Persepolis in Tehran today.
Sadd coach Wesam Rizik was unhappy with the result after the game. “It’s like a loss as we needed three points to enter the last 16 stage,” Rizik said. “Although we have finished second in the group but the scenario has become very difficult for us now. I am satisfied with the team’s performance. We played with a high fighting spirit but wasted many opportunities to score,” he added.
Al Sadd captain Hassan al-Haydos admitted the team missed many scoring chances. “Unfortunately, we have made things difficult for ourselves. We created many opportunities and could have won the match by availing these opportunities,” he said. “We failed to make our home fans happy but we promise them that we will bounce back in what comes next.”
The evening had started promisingly for Al Sadd with Uribe putting them in front with a speculative strike from long range that Nasaf’s Abduvohid Nematov flapped at, the ball slipping off the goalkeeper’s gloves before spinning into the goal.
The home side should have added to their lead before the interval only for Amin Hazbavi to head harmlessly across the face of goal two minutes into added time, the Iranian defender directing Mohamed Waad’s cross wide of the far post.
It was to prove a costly miss as, with seven minutes remaining, Nasaf pulled level with Jighauri scoring his first of the game with a header from Sherzod Nasrullayev’s cross.
And there was worse to come for Al Sadd in the 90th minute as Jighauri struck again. This time the Nasaf forward looped the ball over goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham with a clever first-time finish after Azizbek Amonov swung his cross into the penalty area from the right.
There was to be further drama when Bounedjah swept in from eight yards out as he pounced on Boualem Koukhi’s downward header to earn Al Sadd an equaliser but the goal proved to be too little too late for the Qatari side as the teams shared the points.
Al Duhail look for
consolation winMeanwhile, Persepolis will hope to defeat Al Duhail today if the Iran side are to stand a chance of advancing to the last 16. With Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia having already confirmed the Group E top spot, the only route open for Persepolis is by finishing among the three best second-placed teams from the West Zone.
Last week’s goalless draw with Al Nassr took two-time AFC Champions League runners-up Persepolis to eight points. The Iranian champions know a win against Al Duhail may eventually prove not enough but with their fans roaring them on at the Azadi Stadium, Persepolis will be determined to take maximum points.
For Al Duhail, the tie is a chance to end a difficult campaign on a high note. AFC Champions League semi-finalists for the first time last season, the Qatar side only have four points on the board.