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The draw for the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup took place Wednesday in Jakarta, Indonesia. The draw ceremony saw 16 teams divided into four groups, each containing four teams, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the quarterfinals.Host nation Indonesia was drawn into Group A alongside Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, and South Korea.Group B: Thailand, Vietnam, Kuwait, and Lebanon.Group C: Uzbekistan, four-time champions Japan, Tajikistan and Australia.Group D: Iran, the record holder with 13 titles, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

Saudi's Al Ahli staved off a second half fightback to defeat Qatar's Al Sadd 2-1 in the AFC Champions League Elite tie at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium Tuesday.Riyad Mahrez’s first half strike was cancelled out by Claudinho in the 63rd minute, only for Matheus Goncalves to respond with the winner five minutes later to seal a third victory for the defending champions. Al Sadd, who suffered a 3-1 defeat against Al Hilal SFC in their previous, dominated the opening exchanges with Rafa Mujica seeing his close range effort blocked in the seventh minute with Roger Ibanez and Matteo Dams marshalling Al Ahli’s backline.Al Ahli stayed calm under pressure and were bailed out of trouble in the 25th minute when Edouard Mendy produced a stunning sequence of saves, first denying Akram Afif from distance, then Roberto Firmino on the rebound before Mujica’s close range finish was ruled out for offside.Al Ahli began to find their rhythm with Enzo Millot and Franck Kessie pulling the strings in midfield, while Al Sadd’s early momentum was beginning to fade with Paulo Otavio seeing his shot go wide just after the half-hour mark. Al Ahli made their next attack count in the 34th minute with Millot setting up Mahrez after a clever buildup, with the Algerian finishing brilliantly with a low shot past Al Sadd keeper Meshaal Barsham.The Qatari side came close to finding the equaliser in first half stoppage time with Mujica rattling the woodwork from inside the box before Mohamed Camara’s long-range drive was comfortably collected by Mendy. Al Sadd started the second half with renewed confidence with Tarek Salman shooting high from distance, while Mujica missed the target by a whisker when he angled his headed attempt just wide of the left post.Their patience was rewarded in the 63rd minute after Afif pushed through the centre to set up Claudinho, who struck a powerful drive from just inside the box into the top right corner. The Saudi Pro League side regained the lead five minutes later when Galeno played the ball wide to Goncalves, who scored from the tightest of angles past the flailing hands of Barsham.Kessie thought he had furthered Al Ahli’s advantage in the 77th minute after a well-worked buildup involving Galeno and Feras Al Brikan supplying the nodded assist was ruled out for offside. A deflated Al Sadd were left frustrated in the closing stages with Al Ahli keeping the door shut to secure the victory.

Al Duhail secured their first win after defeating Shabab Al Ahli 4-1 in their AFC Champions League Elite tie at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium Monday.It was a stunning victory as UAE’s Shabab Al Ahli had come into the tie very much in form, having accumulated seven points from their earlier matches while Al Duhail had only managed a draw from their preceding games.Al Duhail survived an early blunder when Federico Cartabia pounced on Bogdan Planic’s stray pass to find Sultan Adil but keeper Bautista Burke came to the rescue, denying the forward inside the opening minute. Luis Alberto turned the tables on Shabab Al Ahli a minute later when he threaded a sublime pass to Edmílson Junior on the left flank with the Brazilian cutting inside before unleashing a rasping shot, touching the fingertips of keeper Hamad Al Meqbaali before nestling into the bottom right corner.The Qatari outfit thought they had a penalty in the fourth minute following Benjamin Bourigeaud’s apparent handball inside the area but the decision was ruled out for a free-kick at the edge of the box, which Cartabia sent wide.Al Duhail continued to dominate, coming agonisingly close when Krzysztof Piatek struck the post after a clever exchange with Marco Verratti.Their pressure paid off in the 39th minute when Benjamin Bourigeaud had the time and space to send a curling effort from just above the box past Al Meqbaali off Edmilson’s corner.Shabab Al Ahli refused to give up and reduced the deficit three minutes later with Breno Cascardo converting Cartabia’s corner with a glancing header.Shabab Al Ahli started the second half brightly, with Guilherme Bala firing narrowly wide from distance in the 52nd minute, while Yuri Cesar saw his close-range effort blocked following a period of sustained pressure.Al Duhail, however, put the brakes on Shabab Al Ahli’s momentum in the 57th minute with Adil Boulbina latching on to Benjamin Bourigeaud’s cutback and rifling his shot into the corner.Shabab Al Ahli escaped going further behind in the 65th minute when Al Meqbaali was forced to tip over Bourigeaud’s effort from just above the box before the shot stopper guessed the right way to deny Piatek from the spot after Mateus Henrique conceded a penalty for bringing down Edmílson.The Emiratis threatened through Kauan Santos in the 76th minute, who saw his stinging free-kick palmed away by Burke while at the other end, Al Meqbaali was kept on his toes, denying Luis Alberto from distance.Boulbina was denied his second after hitting the left post in the 79th minute with Al Duhail completing the emphatic win through Luis Alberto’s strike in stoppage time.

Al Hilal continued the perfect start to their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Al Sadd in their AFC Champions League Elite 2025-26 tie Tuesday.Strikes from Yusuf Akcicek, Kalidou Koulibaly and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic steered Simone Inzaghi’s side to a third victory while Al Sadd’s wait for a triumph continued as they suffered defeat after having started with two draws.Al Hilal, who were missing Joao Cancelo and Salem al-Dawsari, made five changes to the starting line-up that defeated Al Ettifaq 5-0 in a Saudi Pro League tie on Friday while Al Sadd introduced four changes from their last continental stage outing against United Arab Emirates’ Sharjah.Following a cagey start, the home side had the first look at goal in the 10th minute after Ruben Neves helped set up Kaio Cesar from a corner, only for the Brazilian midfielder to fire wide off the right post.Al Sadd were almost punished in the 18th minute when Milinkovic-Savic and Abdullah Al Hamddan combined to split open their defence, only for Savic’s effort to be parried away by keeper Meshaal Barsham.Another lapse followed in the 23rd minute as Mohamed Kanno’s cross found Milinkovic-Savic, who had the time and space to pick his spot but missed his target from the top of the box but Al Hilal made no mistake two minutes later.The pressure finally got to the Qatari side after they failed to deal with a Santos Almeida free-kick, allowing Koulibaly to nudge the ball into the path of Akcicek, who slotted home from close range. The Qatari side were caught out again in the 40th minute after Ruben Neves whipped in a cross for Koulibaly to power home with a header.The four-time Asian champions threatened to extend their advantage in the second half with Ahmed Suhail and Milinkovic-Savic coming close two minutes after the restart, while Marcos Leonardo saw his soft close range attempt parried away by Barsham.Against the run of play, Al Sadd pulled one back in the 63rd minute when a clever Pedro Miguel pass found Roberto Firmino - who tasted continental glory with Al Ahli Saudi FC last season - to slot home.Sergio Alegre’s side came knocking again 10 minutes later when Pedro Miguel released Paulo Otavio inside the box, only for Koulibaly to intervene with a clearance. Al Hilal, however, put the game to bed in the 82nd minute with Milinkovic-Savic curling a stunning free-kick over the Al Sadd wall past a sprawling Barsham.Al Hilal had a chance to extend their lead in stoppage time after Abdullah Al Yazidi conceded a penalty but Barsham kept out Cesar’s spot-kick but it did not dampen the gloss on their victory. Al Hilal will seek a fourth win against Al Gharafa SC on November 3 while Al Sadd will play Al Ahli Saudi FC a day later.

Qatar football giants Al Sadd will be eyeing a win against Saudi side Al Hilal on Tuesday when the two powerful sides meet in an AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 clash.Al Hilal will expect to stay on the winning ways when they face the Qatari side on Tuesday.Al Hilal, the four-time Asian champions, are the only side in the West Zone with a perfect record while Al Sadd opened their campaign with two draws.Al Hilal will take to the pitch with confidence as they are unbeaten in each of their last 13 home games in the AFC Champions League Elite - with the last 11 being wins.Victory Tuesday will mean the outright longest winning streak by any side at home in the competition, a record currently shared with Japan’s Yokohama F Marinos.Al Hilal, however, are winless in their last two meetings with Al Sadd but did beat the Qatari champions in the two matches prior to that.Al Sadd’s slow start to the season led to the departure of head coach Felix Sanchez, with the Spaniard’s compatriot Sergio Alegre taking charge on an interim basis. Alegre couldn’t have picked a tougher match to start his tenure but if Al Sadd do register a win, it could well spark a turnaround in their fortunes.Alegre, however, said during a press conference on Monday: “A tough and strong match awaits us against Al Hilal. We have prepared well for this match and I hope we will perform at our best. We fear nothing. We have a distinguished group of players, and our goal is to play a strong match and achieve a positive result.”Two-time AFC Asian Cup winning captain and an Al Sadd stalwart Hassan al-Haydos said on Monday: “We know Al Hilal’s strengths and weaknesses. We must give it our best. We must also give our complete focus during the match. After Qatar qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (last week), our morale has improved, and I hope it will be reflected in the match against Al Hilal.”Al Hilal’s Italian coach, Simone Inzaghi, Monday emphasised the importance of winning Tuesday’s AFC Champions League match, adding that his team is at the top of their group and the goal is to ‘maintain that position’. Inzaghi on Monday admired the strength of the opposing team, saying: “We followed Al Sadd closely, as they performed admirably in two matches. We must prepare well for the match in order to maintain our top position.”Regarding the pressure of ACL matches, Inzaghi said that their focus is solely on Tuesday’s match, stressing that the team will face numerous matches in the coming period, and that all members of the squad are ‘ready for those matches’.Regarding Salem al-Dawsari’s injury, Inzaghi said al-Dawsari will not participate in the match due to the injury he sustained while playing for the national team.“He is an important player and we hope he returns to action as soon as possible. Everyone is monitoring the progress of his condition,” he said.

Hosts Al Wahda came back from going a goal behind to remain unbeaten in the AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 as Jose Morais’ side notched up a 3-1 win over Qatar’s Al Duhail at Abu Dhabi's Al Nahyan Stadium on Monday.Kryzsztof Piatek had given the visitors a 20th minute lead but an Omar Khribin penalty 15 minutes later levelled the scores before Brahima Diarra put Al Wahda in front two minutes into stoppage time and Ala Zouhir hit a spectacular third in the 67th minute.The result moves Al Wahda onto seven points from their first three games while Al Duhail are still looking for their first win, with Djamel Belmadi’s side on one point.Al Wahda had impressed in the opening exchanges, only for Morais’ side to go behind.Dusan Tadic sliced his close-range effort wide of the Al Duhail goal in the 12th minute after being played in on goal by Zouhir as the home side made a positive start with the former Ajax Amsterdam playmaker to the fore.Zouhir unlocked the visiting defence again three minutes later when he muscled his way past the defence to clip in a cross from the right that the unmarked Caio Canedo slammed over the bar from 15 yards out.It was against the run of play, then, that Al Duhail took the lead as the halfway point in the half approached.Sultan Al Brake’s perfect pass from 35 yards out sliced through the Al Wahda defence to find Adil Boulbina as he scampered towards the byeline, the winger cutting the ball back first time to set up Piatek to push his shot over from inside the six yard box.Jean-Charles Castelletto’s pull on Khribin’s shirt saw referee Gulmurodi Sadullo point to the penalty spot and the Syria international showed no hesitation to slam his spot-kick beyond Arthur Desmas as dived the wrong way.Two minutes into time added on at the end of the half, Al Wahda went in front.Tadic’s clever flick over the defence found Diarra and, while his initial attempt was headed away by defender Youssef Ayman, the midfielder’s persistence ensured he netted at the second attempt from a tight angle after sidestepping Desmas’ dive.Al Wahda sealed the win in spectacular fashion midway through the second half, Tadic seeing his shot from 25 yards take a deflection off Cestelletto and Zouhir reacted, springing into the air to launch an unstoppable overhead strike beyond the helpless goalkeeper.

Al Duhail will face UAE’s Al Wahda at the Al Nahyan Stadium for their AFC Champions League Elite 2025-26 match at the at the Al Nahyan Stadium Monday.Al Wahda will target maximum points when they welcome Al Duhail to the Al Nahyan Stadium for their AFC Champions League Elite tie at the Al Nahyan Stadium Monday.The UAE side sit fourth in the standings with four points, while Qatar’s Al Duhail are three adrift in ninth place.Al Wahda, however, will tread carefully as their head-to-head record isn’t in their favour, having lost both previous encounters against the Qatari side.They will draw confidence from their good start to the season – domestically as well as on the continental stage – in their bid to walk away with the points.Leading their charge will be Omar Khribin, who led Syria to AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 qualification this past week.Al Duhail, who held defending champions Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli to a 2-2 draw three weeks ago, need to get on the winning trail if knockout stage qualification is to be achieved.“We are ready to play the match, and we look forward to achieving our first victory in the continental competition,” Al Duhail coach Djamel Belmadi said.“Although we have only earned one point from two matches, I do not consider them negative results, especially since we played against Al Hilal and Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia, and I believe that the confrontation with Al Wahda will also be strong, during which we will try to play with extreme focus.”That will require defensive resolve, with four goals having already been conceded but they are struggling for form – sitting sixth in the Qatar Stars League.They did come within a whisker of defeating Al Ahli and if they can reproduce that form, they may well extend their winning streak against Al Wahda.Al Gharafa vs Al Ahli Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia will be aiming to return to winning ways when they entertain Al Gharafa in the AFC Champions League Elite at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium Monday.The defending champions were held to a 2-2 draw by Qatar’s Al Duhail SC on Matchday Two, which halted the Saudi Arabian side’s winning run at eight.The draw, however, meant that Al Ahli joined Saudi Pro League rivals Al Hilal SFC and Ulsan HD of South Republic on a 20-match unbeaten run in the continental showpiece and they will be determined to claim the record for themselves Monday.The head-to-head with Al Gharafa is very much in Al Ahli’s favour as they are unbeaten in their last five meetings – winning two and drawing three.They will expect to score, having already netted six goals, but their defence has been porous with four conceded in their earlier two matches and Al Ahli will be focused on staying tight at the back.Al Gharafa will not be fazed by the prospect of playing Al Ahli away, especially after defeating Iraq’s Al Shorta 2-0 on Matchday Two.Al Gharafa’s coach Pedro Martins while addressing the media on eve of the match, said, “A tough match awaits us against the title holder, and we will play in our style with the aim of achieving victory.”Joselu will be counted on to deliver the goals, with the Spanish forward leading the continental charts with three and if he scores Monday, he will become the first Al Gharafa player to score in three consecutive games to start a season since at least 2013.The Qatari side, however, have lost their last three away games on the continent.

President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA First Vice-President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa congratulated Saudi Arabia and Qatar on qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Sheikh Salman said the qualification of the Saudi and Qatari national football teams reflects the prominent stature of both nations' football within the Asian landscape, underscoring their sustained progress and growing excellence at both continental and international levels. He added that the achievement marks the culmination of strategic planning and sustained efforts by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and the Qatar Football Association, whose solid foundations have paved the way for qualification to the world's most prestigious football tournament. The AFC President commended the dedication, discipline, and professionalism demonstrated by the players, coaches, and administrative staff of both national teams throughout the qualification campaign, noting that their collective efforts embody the region's growing competitiveness and ambition on the global stage. Sheikh Salman expressed confidence in the ability of the Saudi and Qatari national teams to represent Asia with distinction at the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, alongside other qualified Asian nations. He stressed the importance of thorough preparation and high-level performance to reflect the continued progress of Asian football and further enhance its reputation on the global stage. He also extended his congratulations to the Iraqi and United Arab Emirates (UAE) national teams on reaching the knockout stage of the Asian playoffs for the 2026 World Cup, praising their impressive performances during the qualifiers and wishing them success in their ongoing pursuit of a place at the finals.

The stage is set for a grand battle between Saudi Arabia and Iraq when they meet in their decisive AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road to 26 Playoffs Group B tie Tuesday at the King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium in Jeddah.It’s a winners-take-all match with the victors booking their place at the FIFA World Cup 2026 while the beaten side will advance to a playoff against the Group A runners-up, with the winners to bid for one final chance in the FIFA Playoff Tournament.Both achieved wins against Indonesia with Saudi Arabia’s 3-2 success giving them a slight advantage over Iraq - who picked up a 1-0 win - with the group hosts needing only a draw to take the automatic berth.Herve Renard’s side have had better recovery time, having played on Wednesday but the Frenchman will be without midfielder Mohamed Kanno who was sent off in stoppage time against Indonesia.Renard’s faith in the dynamic 23-year-old Saleh Alshamat - who only had three international caps prior to the Indonesia match - paid off handsomely with the Al Ahli Saudi FC forward netting the equaliser against Indonesia. Feras Albrikan is also in good form, having bagged a brace.It is the defence, however, that is a cause of concern for the French tactician with Indonesia registering 17 shots, 10 of which were on target with Renard urging his players to keep their concentration for this crucial encounter.“What we did before, it’s nothing up to now because if we don’t achieve our goal tomorrow you won’t remember the game against Indonesia, the game we played in Bahrain so the most important is tomorrow,” said Renard.“I’m lucky because I have some players with experience like Saleh Al Shehri, Salem Al Dawsari our captain, now Hassan Al Tambakti is getting more experience. I always tell them to stay focused, it’s not always easy with the Saudi players but the most important is when they are listening, so we prepare for this game very quietly. We are concentrated on our goal and we don’t have to do something else, just focus on us. This is the most important."Head coach Graham Arnold is charting an appearance on the global stage for just the second time for Iraq.Iraq only failed to score in three of the 16 matches since Round 2 of the Qualifiers but the availability of topscorer Aymen Hussein remains in doubt after the forward wasn’t in the matchday squad on Saturday.Like his counterpart Renard, Arnold will also have to contend with a suspension with centre-back Zaid Tahseen unavailable following his red card in the closing minutes of the tie against Indonesia but the Australian tactician believes that his Iraq side will be heading into the match under less pressure than their rivals."Everything is great," said Arnold. "It’s a very special game tomorrow night and it’s one I’m really excited about."I think the pressure’s more on Saudi. They have in their brain two ways to qualify, that is draw or win. We have one way and that’s win. So our full focus is going out and go for it."We’ve already captured the spot for the playoff in November and we go for it because Saudi will have 90 percent of the fans, the pressure from the media, pressure from FIFA so the pressure is on Saudi."

Cosmin Olaroiu was proud of the resilience shown by the United Arab Emirates in the 2-1 win against Oman in Group A of the AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road to 26 playoffs on Saturday.Trailing to Kouame Kouadio’s first half own goal, UAE turned on the power in the closing minutes of the tie to turn the match around, with Marcus Meloni and Caio Lucas scoring to keep their hopes of a second FIFA World Cup Finals appearance alive.Olaroiu admitted that Oman had made the tie at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium into a slugfest.“The match was very difficult, and I congratulate the players for their determination and resolve to achieve victory, which is a well-deserved and fair result that placed us at the top of the group,” said the Romanian tactician, whose side only have to avoid defeat against Qatar tomorrow to book their ticket to next year’s global showpiece. “I would like to thank our fans for their great support during the match.”Olaroiu, who took charge of UAE after leading Sharjah FC to the AFC Champions League Two 2024-25 title in May, said UAE’s performance before the break forced his hand going into the second half.“I was forced to make a complete technical change at the beginning of the second half to change the players’ mentality and achieve victory,” said Olariu, who sent on Caio Canedo, Yahia Nader and Harib Abdalla to boost his side’s potency.“We played a match with different personalities in the two halves but we did everything necessary to win the match. Now we have the decisive game against Qatar.”While UAE will be bidding for a second appearance at the Finals after having made their debut in 1990, Oman’s dream for their global stage bow now depends on the Qatar-UAE result, with the second-placed team from the group advancing to a playoff against the Group B runners-up, with the winners to bid for one final chance in the FIFA Playoff Tournament.“Our players created many opportunities but failed to capitalise on them but they deserved a better result,” said head coach Carlos Queiroz.“Oman’s chances of qualifying remain, and our fans should be proud of the players’ efforts and high fighting spirit despite all the challenges.”

Qatar head coach Julen Lopetegui has underlined the high stakes and intense pressure surrounding his side’s upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup play-off match against Oman, which will be played Wednesday at 6pm Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Al Sadd.The Group A encounter marks the opening round of the fourth stage of the AFC Asian Qualifiers, with the United Arab Emirates also part of the group with matches to be played in a single round-robin format. Group B hosts Saudi Arabia will have Iraq and Indonesia for company.Only the group winner is guaranteed automatic qualification to the next year’s World Cup, which will be co-hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico. A final qualifying chance is available to the runners-up of each group, who will square off in a two-legged showdown across November 13 and 18. This Knockout Stage will determine the Asian representative at the FIFA Play-Off Tournament, where they will have to fend off opponents from other confederations to claim one of two berths.Speaking at a press conference ahead of the match, Lopetegui stressed the importance of mental focus and readiness in this critical stage. “We are heading into a decisive and pivotal stage with two crucial matches requiring the highest levels of mental preparedness,” said the Spanish coach, who took charge of the team in May.The former Spain and Real Madrid manager acknowledged the strength of the Omani side, now led by veteran Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz, who had a brief stint with Qatar as well.“We will face a strong Omani team, whom we know well and respect, under the leadership of a great coach in Carlos Queiroz. Our goal is to achieve the dream of reaching the World Cup, which will only be achieved by exerting our utmost effort.”While optimistic, Lopetegui made it clear that Qatar’s lineup for the match is not yet finalised, citing ongoing assessments of player fitness and readiness. “We have many different situations, and we must wait until tomorrow to determine the full readiness of the players before selecting the ideal lineup for the first match,” he said.Qatar, who are still finding their rhythm under Lopetegui, will be hoping for a strong start after an uneven run of results — including losses to Lebanon and Russia, and a 2-2 draw with Bahrain in friendlies. Almoez Ali is expected to lead the attack, with creative duties falling to star forward Akram Afif.Lopetegui remained firm in his belief that the squad has what it takes to rise to the occasion — if they channel their focus and energy effectively. “It is important for the players to work hard to achieve this dream. We must work to demonstrate the required balance in order to perform optimally in both matches and harness all our positive energy to achieve victory,” the Spaniard said.Players’ morale is high, says KhoukhiVeteran defender Boualem Khoukhi echoed his coach’s sentiments and emphasised the team’s preparation and determination to start the campaign with a win.“We are ready for the match, which will not be easy. The players' morale is high, and we seek to demonstrate a high degree of focus to achieve victory,” he said.The experienced centre-back acknowledged the challenge posed by Oman but stressed that the players are aware of what’s at stake. “We realise the importance of the two matches, and our focus will now be on the match against Oman. The fans' presence will be a great motivator and incentive for the players to achieve victory and secure our first three points.”With expectations running high and only limited opportunities in the group stage, Boualem made a direct appeal to the supporters and vowed that the team is ready to deliver. “The ball is in the players' court, and we are expecting a large turnout from our fans, and God willing, we will not disappoint.”Oman, meanwhile, will look to continue their progression under Carlos Queiroz. In-form striker Issam al-Sabhi, who scored twice in their most recent win over Qatar during the 2024 Gulf Cup, will be key to their attacking hopes.

Qatar's Al Ahli and Uzbekistan's Andijon shared the points after playing out a goalless draw in their AFC Champions League Two Group B tie Wednesday in Andijan, Uzbekistan.The stalemate meant both sides are still seeking their first win, with their respective opening encounters also ending in draws. The first chance fell to Andijon when Mukhammadkarim Toirov let fly on the bounce from 25 yards out in the 11th minute but his effort was straight at Al Ahli goalkeeper Marwan Sherif.The game then became cagey and only really came to life in the final minutes of the half when Al Ahli’s Suhaib Gannan picked out Sekou Yansane in the box but the forward hit his effort into the ground, allowing Erzhan Tokotaev to gather easily. A mistake from Driss Fettouhi – who underhit his pass – nearly cost the Qatari side in the 43rd minute when Usmonali Ismonaliev intercepted and fed Doniyor Abdummanopov, who forced a diving save from Sherif.Andijon looked the more likely to break the deadlock after the interval with Krystian Nowak’s header from Damir Temirov’s corner delivery sailing just over a minute into the restart. Seeing his side under pressure, Al Ahli head coach Igor Biscan called upon the experienced Julian Draxler to replace Yansane in the 64th minute and the former German international nearly created the opening goal eight minutes later when he spotted Hilal Mohammed’s run, only for the full-back to scoop his effort over the bar.Al Ahli’s improvement saw them forcing Tokotaev to make a point-blank save from Gannan’s header in the 78th minute but the remainder of the game yielded no goals as the sides shared the spoils.Ahli coach Igor Biscan expressed satisfaction with the away result despite his side’s missed chances. “We played well and created several opportunities, but we were unlucky and faced difficulties breaking down their defensive organisation,” Biscan said at the post-match press conference.He pointed to the poor pitch conditions as a factor affecting his players’ attacking play but remained upbeat about their prospects. “Overall, I am satisfied with the draw away from home. We will work hard to achieve victory in the next round when we host Andijon in Doha,” he said.The Croatian praised his players’ commitment, saying they deserved more than a draw based on their performance. He also revealed that Draxler was introduced only in the second half due to fitness concerns. “He had some pain after the league match against Al Shahaniya, so I didn’t want to risk him from the start. His quality and influence were clear when he came on, and he remains a very important player for us,” Biscan added.Al Ahli will now look to secure their first group-stage victory when they meet Andijon again in the return fixture in Doha.