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Defending champions Al Ahli struck twice in eight second-half minutes to come from behind to defeat Japan’s Vissel Kobe 2-1 and seal their place in a second successive Asian Champions League Elite final. Brazil winger Galeno cancelled out Yoshinori Muto’s first-half opener before Ivan Toney completed the comeback in front of 44,716 people at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium. Kobe, winners of the J1 League title in 2023 and 2024, took the lead on the half hour, when the Al Ahli defence were caught napping at a free-kick. Beating the Saudi side’s high line, an unmarked Yuya Osako headed the ball across the Ahli penalty area to Muto, who slotted home past former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. In first-half stoppage-time, Rayan Hamed headed a Galeno free-kick onto the Kobe upright before Toney dragged a shot wide. Ahli, who 12 months ago defeated Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale in the final to capture a first continental crown, spurned another golden opportunity at the start of the second half when Brazil international Roger Ibanez headed across goal when free. At the other end, Daiju Sasaki struck the Ahli crossbar. However, Ahli levelled on 62 minutes. Galeno, scorer of a spectacular winner in the quarter-final win against Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim, struck another superb effort from range that flew high into the Kobe goal. Ahli edged ahead eight minutes later, Toney making the most of goalkeeper Daiya Maekawa’s failure to deal with a cross by side-footing home from the angle. The Englishman, the current top scorer in the Saudi Pro League, climbed to two goals for the tournament. Ahli were then denied a third through Riyad Mahrez, with the former Manchester City star’s 75th-minute finish ruled out for offside following a VAR review. But it mattered little as Ahli held on for the victory. They will now face either Japan’s Machida Zelvia or 2015 runners-up Shabab Al Ahli of the UAE, who meet in the other semi-final Tuesday. The final takes place on Saturday at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium. For the second year running, Jeddah is staging the eight-team centralised finals series of the continent’s premier football competition, rebranded last year as the Asian Champions League Elite. 

A classic is on the cards when Qatar’s Al Ahli take on Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr in the AFC Champions League Two West Zone semi-final today at Al Wasl Stadium in Dubai.Al Ahli booked their place in the last four with a convincing 3-1 victory over Jordan’s Al Hussein in the quarter-finals, while Al Nassr – captained by Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo – advanced in emphatic fashion with a 4-0 win against the UAE’s Al Wasl.Although Al Ahli did not progress with a perfect record, they reached the semi-finals unbeaten and, with continental glory now just two matches away, the Doha-based side will be determined to rise to the occasion.Success has long eluded Al Ahli on the continental stage, but after overcoming several quality opponents en route to the semi-finals, they will believe they have what it takes to advance at the expense of a star-studded Al Nassr side, with Japan’s Gamba Osaka waiting in the final.Al Ahli coach Younes Ali expressed confidence in his team’s readiness for the challenge ahead. "We are fully prepared to face Al Nassr," he said. "We are looking to deliver a strong performance against a formidable opponent like Al Nassr, a team that has many well-known names in world football. But we also have high ambitions to make a significant impact."Ali noted that the victory over Al Hussein provided a major boost to team morale. "The team received a big morale boost after our quarter-final win, and all the players are eager to maintain their strong form in tomorrow’s match," he said. "Our strikers showed high technical ability in the previous game. They created many chances and faced a goalkeeper who made several saves. I believe we will be more clinical against Al Nassr."He added that his side must remain patient in what is expected to be a tightly contested encounter. "Tomorrow’s match will be difficult and different from the previous one, given the strength of the opponent and the quality of their players. I expect few scoring chances, but we will be ready for the challenge."Al Ahli goalkeeper Marwan Sherif also emphasised the team’s determination to extend their impressive run in the competition."We look forward to continuing the team’s outstanding run in the tournament," he said. "We have gone nine matches unbeaten since the start of the tournament, and we will give everything to maintain this momentum in tomorrow’s game. The match will not be easy, but we are aware of the responsibility on us. We will exert every effort against Al Nassr to achieve the desired result and continue our journey in the best possible way."Al Nassr head coach Jorge Jesus, meanwhile, is equally determined to guide his side to continental success, stating his ambition to make history by becoming the first Saudi Arabian club to lift the AFC Champions League Two title."Our goal in tomorrow’s semi-final against Al Ahli is to win and qualify for the final," Jesus said. "We have great respect for Al Ahli. The team includes well-known professionals who have played for major European clubs, and they deserve to reach this stage. I expect a difficult match. Semi-final games cannot be predicted in advance."After rotating his squad in the earlier rounds, Jesus fielded his strongest lineup in the quarter-final against Al Wasl, a move that paid dividends as the Saudi side delivered a dominant performance. Al Nassr have been in scintillating form throughout the tournament, advancing to the semi-finals with a perfect record of nine wins, and will be confident of maintaining that momentum as they chase the coveted title. 

Two matches will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, to kick off the Qatar Basketball Cup for men for the 2025-2026 season.The first match will be between Al Sadd and Al Ahli at Al Rayyan Sports Club Hall in the preliminary round.The winner will advance to face Al Arabi in the quarterfinals on April 11.The second match is the first of the quarterfinals, featuring Al Rayyan against Al Khor.Al Rayyan will be looking to bounce back from their league loss to Al Arabi, while Al Khor hope to pull off an upset and continue their journey in the tournament.The quarterfinals will continue on Thursday at Al Gharafa Sports Club Hall, with Al Wakrah facing Qatar SC and Al Gharafa taking on Al Shamal in two evenly matched encounters.

Al Ahli clinched a thrilling penalty shootout 4-3 against Al Jazira after a 1-1 draw in regulation time to claim the Challenge Cup in the third edition of Qatar-UAE Super Cup at the Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi Sunday. Hani Taleb Ballan, CEO of the Qatar Stars League Foundation, and Abdullah Nasser al-Junaibi, Chairman of the UAE Pro League, presented the trophy to the winners. It was Suhaib Gannan who got the winning strike in a nail-biting shootout where Al Ahli’s kicks of Driss Fettouhi and Eric Exposito were stopped by Al Jazira goalkeeper Ali Khasif while Oumar Sekou, Julian Draxler, Michel Vlap were on target – along with Gannan. Al Ahli goalkeeper Marwan Badreldin stopped the kick of Al Jazira’s Vinicius Mello while Richard Akonnor and Khalifa al-Hammadi shot wide of the target. Abdallah Ramadan, Ibrahim Adel, Wilyan Rocha were the ones to score for the hosts but in vain. Earlier, following a goalless opening half, Brazilian Vinicius Mello put Al Jazira ahead in the 48th minute after intercepting a high ball from Bruno Oliviera inside the box. Just when it seemed that the Cup was heading the hosts’ way, Al Ahli turned the tables fetching the equaliser in stoppage time (90+3 minute) with Draxler making a header into the right corner from a measured lob of Dutchman Michel Vlap from outside the striking zone. That set the tone for a pulsating shootout which moved into sudden death situation but Gannan held his composure to score as his teammates rushed in to celebrate a deserving victory. 

Al Ahli defeated PFC Andijon 2-0 at Al Thumama Stadium to book their AFC Champions League Two round of 16 berth Wednesday. The win meant the Qatari side topped Group B with 10 points while their beaten opponents from Uzbekistan were eliminated. Al Ahli had the better start with Erik Exposito testing Eldor Adkhamov with a curling low shot from distance before the Andijon custodian saved Sekou Yansane’s effort after he had been teed up by Julian Draxler. The home side opened the scoring in the 26th minute when midfielder Michel Vlap stretched his right leg to guide home Draxler’s enticing free-kick past a stranded Adkhamov. Al Ahli had opportunities to take an even bigger lead into the break but efforts from Draxler and Exposito - with Adkhamov already beaten - struck the post before Abdurakhmon Komilov produced an excellent last-ditch challenge to stop Exposito. The second half saw no change in the pattern of play with Al Ahli searching for the second goal with Driss Fettouhi firing a shot from distance which Adkhamov saved. Affording Al Ahli shooting chances from range led to Andijon’s downfall in the 65th minute when Vlap had time and space to unleash a swerving shot that fizzed past Adkhamov. Vlap had the opportunity to seal his hat-trick late on after being put through by Exposito, only to steer his attempt wide but the miss mattered little as Al Ahli earned a deserved victory.Al Sadd never stopped believing, says Mujica Hat-trick hero Rafa Mujica attributed self-belief as the key factor for Al Sadd SC’s dramatic 4-2 comeback win over Shabab Al Ahli in their AFC Champions League Elite tie at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Tuesday. Trailing 2-0 following goals from Federico Cartabia and Yahya al-Ghassani, Al Sadd appeared on the brink of elimination before Mujica turned the match on its head with a superb treble, with Tarek Salman adding a fourth as the Qatari side registered their first win of the campaign to keep their hopes alive. “We played a great match and it was truly very difficult,” said Mujica. “We were down by two goals, but the coach gave me confidence and I was able to score three goals. I’m happy that I could help the team and I thank the coach for believing in me.” Head coach Roberto Mancini praised his side’s resilience and determination after the setback, saying the result could provide a turning point for his team. “The match wasn’t easy,” said Mancini. “We were down by two goals, but we came back strong and showed determination until the final minutes. We deserved this important victory. We made a mistake and conceded a penalty, but that’s football, the most important thing is that we kept working. This victory is a good opportunity for us to get back on track - both domestically and continentally. We must continue to work hard.” 

Al Sadd staged a stunning fightback as they came from two goals down to beat Shabab Al Ahli 4-2 in their AFC Champions League Elite tie at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha.Goals from Federico Cartabia and Yahya al-Ghassani looked to have secured Shabab Al Ahli their round of 16 spot but Rafa Mujica struck a hat-trick with Tarek Salman contributing the fourth as Al Sadd registered their first win of the season to their hopes alive.Qatar’s Al Sadd made four changes from their last match with Boualem Khoukhi and Pedro Miguel coming into the lineup with Tarek Salman starting from the bench, while Breno Lemos and Gaston Alvarez returned to Shabab Al Ahli’s midfield with Mateus Lima up front. UAE’s Shabab Al Ahli almost went ahead in the opening minute when Alvarez squared the ball nicely for Cartabia, who could not get to the end of the cross from inside the six-yard-box.The home side went close in the 12th minute when Akram Afif played the ball to Giovani, who weaved his way into the box but fired his effort wide of the left post, while Yuri Cesar forced Al Sadd keeper Meshaal Barsham into a low save moments later.Roberto Mancini’s side stayed calm just before the half-hour mark with Cartabia, Lima and Guilherme Bala all piling on the pressure from inside the area, while a careless backpass from Salman was almost intercepted by Lima but Bersham was quick to clear the danger.Al Sadd were also wasteful upfront with Giovani pulling his effort over the bar after a fine team move in the 42nd minute while at the other end, Barsham was on top of his game again when he deflected Lima’s stinging shot after Bala’s set-up in first half stoppage time.Cesar then came close to finding the opener when he played a neat exchange with Bala at the edge of the area before falling to connect to the midfielder’s cutback.Al Sadd were left stunned two minutes after the break when Mersad Seifi delivered a pinpoint cross to the far post, allowing Cartabia to power home the opener past a rooted Bersham. Shabab Al Ahli almost doubled their tally in the 53rd minute after Cesar played a well-timed through ball for Lima, who struck his shot past Bersham only for the ball to bounce off the bar.The pressure finally told on Al Sadd as they conceded a penalty following Miguel’s foul on Cartabia, with Al Ghassani converting from the spot in the 70th minute. Al Sadd responded five minutes later after a quick throw-in left Afif with space on the left and the forward set-up Mujica to strike past Hamad Al Meqbaali.Boosted by the goal, Al Sadd pushed forward and drew level in the fifth minute of time added on with Salman finishing off Roberto Firmino’s layoff. There was more to come as a lapse in concentration by Shabab Al Ahli saw Mujica weave his way through before slotting past Al Meqbaali six minutes later with Afif then setting up the Spaniard for his hat-trick in the 13th minute of added time to complete the amazing victory.

Al Sadd will be fighting to keep their AFC Champions League Elite hopes alive when they host Shabab Al Ahli on Tuesday, with the Qatari side languishing on just two points from five matches. Victory for the UAE club would confirm their place in the round of 16.Roberto Mancini’s first continental outing as Al Sadd coach ended in a 3-1 defeat to fellow Emirati side Al Wahda, and the Italian will be demanding a far more resilient performance from his players at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.The two sides meet for the first time since 2014, with Al Sadd winless in the competition this season and having lost their last three matches in all competitions.Ahead of the encounter, Mancini stressed the importance of the fixture to Sadd’s qualification hopes. “We have a very important match ahead of us against a strong opponent. We will play to win so that we can climb the league standings,” Mancini said. “We are suffering from a shortage of players due to some joining their national teams for the Africa Cup of Nations, as well as injuries. Their absence will certainly have an impact, but despite that we are ready for the match.”The former Italy coach acknowledged the challenge posed by Shabab Al Ahli but underlined his side’s determination to remain in contention. “We know our position in the standings and we must do our best to maintain our hopes in the competition,” he said. “We will approach the match with the ambition to win, even though the task is difficult against a strong competitor with many distinguished players. This requires us to play with great focus.”In contrast, Shabab Al Ahli arrive in Doha in confident mood, having claimed three wins from five matches. Two more victories would see the Dubai club equal their best-ever run in continental competition, and with Al Sadd struggling for consistency, they will be confident of securing qualification.Shabab Al Ahli head coach Paulo Sousa praised his opponents while stressing the need for focus. “We will face a tough competitor and a team that has dominated Qatari football titles in recent years, with many good players,” said the Portuguese coach. “They are organised in all lines, and I am also happy to face Roberto Mancini, who is a capable coach with great experience.”Sousa added: “We want to continue delivering good performances and maintain our balanced progress in the standings. This match represents Al Sadd’s last chance to keep their qualification hopes alive, which means they will have a strong desire to win, and that requires us to remain fully focused.”

Al Sadd will be fighting to keep their AFC Champions League Elite hopes alive when they host Shabab Al Ahli on Tuesday, with the Qatari side languishing on just two points from five matches. Victory for the UAE club would confirm their place in the round of 16.Roberto Mancini’s first continental outing as Al Sadd coach ended in a 3-1 defeat to fellow Emirati side Al Wahda, and the Italian will be demanding a far more resilient performance from his players at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.The two sides meet for the first time since 2014, with Al Sadd winless in the competition this season and having lost their last three matches in all competitions.Ahead of the encounter, Mancini stressed the importance of the fixture to Sadd’s qualification hopes. “We have a very important match ahead of us against a strong opponent. We will play to win so that we can climb the league standings,” Mancini said. “We are suffering from a shortage of players due to some joining their national teams for the Africa Cup of Nations, as well as injuries. Their absence will certainly have an impact, but despite that we are ready for the match.”The former Italy coach acknowledged the challenge posed by Shabab Al Ahli but underlined his side’s determination to remain in contention. “We know our position in the standings and we must do our best to maintain our hopes in the competition,” he said. “We will approach the match with the ambition to win, even though the task is difficult against a strong competitor with many distinguished players. This requires us to play with great focus.”In contrast, Shabab Al Ahli arrive in Doha in confident mood, having claimed three wins from five matches. Two more victories would see the Dubai club equal their best-ever run in continental competition, and with Al Sadd struggling for consistency, they will be confident of securing qualification.Shabab Al Ahli head coach Paulo Sousa praised his opponents while stressing the need for focus. “We will face a tough competitor and a team that has dominated Qatari football titles in recent years, with many good players,” said the Portuguese coach. “They are organised in all lines, and I am also happy to face Roberto Mancini, who is a capable coach with great experience.”Sousa added: “We want to continue delivering good performances and maintain our balanced progress in the standings. This match represents Al Sadd’s last chance to keep their qualification hopes alive, which means they will have a strong desire to win, and that requires us to remain fully focused.” 

Ahli Bank (a Qatari public shareholding company) successfully issued QAR 500 million in debt securities to international and local investors through ABQ Finance limited company (a special-purpose company) owned fully by Ahli bank.In a statement published on the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) website, the bank explained that the issuance is part of its USD 2 billion Medium-Term Note (MTN) program.

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 Shamal handed Umm Salal a 5-0 thrashing in the Qatar Stars League at the Al Khor Stadium Saturday to go second in the table behind leaders Al Gharafa.Their fifth win of the league took Al Shamal’s tally to 17 points to be second in the standings, ahead of Qatar SC on goal difference. Umm Salal with a sixth loss are in 11th with 6 points while Al Gharafa are at the top with 19 points.Umm Salal were also reduced to 10-man in the 88th minute when Diyab Haroon Taha was sent off for a foul against Baghdad Bounedjah.In what a forgettable day for them, Umm Salal also suffered from two goalkeeping errors at the start which saw Al Shamal go up with a 2-0 lead before they added three more to the scoreline. Al Shamal led 3-0 at half time.Alex Collado (11th & 54th minutes), Issoufou Dayo – Own Goal (18th minute), Badghdad Bounedjah (38th minute), and Moufak Awad (90th minute) contributed the goals.Umm Salal goalkeeper Jehad Mohammad Hudib had a horror when a powerful Collado kick went through his hands and legs. Seven minutes later, there was more trouble as Hudib failed to read a back pass from Dayo, getting beaten to his right as the ball rolled into the net. Bounedjah added a third scoring from in front of the goal off a fine assist from Collado.In the second half, Collado struck again from top of the box with his left-footer finding the left corner of the net. Just ahead of added time, a Bounedjah free kick was blocked by a leaping Hudib but Moufak Awad lunged forward to kick the ball in to complete a 5-0 rout. On a day when nothing seemed to go right for Umm Salal, a second half free kick also hit the right post before falling away in what was the only glimmer of hope.Ahli beat SailiyaEarlier at the Grand Hamad Stadium, Al Ahli scored a 2-1 win over Al Sailiya to move to 9th spot. Al Sailiya with 6 points are in tenth.Julian Draxler scored a brace (27th & 90 +1 minute - penalty) to bounce Al Ahli back to winning ways while Al Sailiya’s only goal was scored by Youssef Sinana (45 + 3 minute) via a penalty.Draxler’s made a stunning right-footed shot from the right side of the box to open the scoring, while Al Sailiya’s Sinana restored parity via a spot kick just before half time after Al Ahli’s Hilal Mohammed handled the ball in the danger area. With the match heading for a draw, Draxler, once again, made the difference as he scored from the spot at the stroke of regulation time to give The Brigadiers an important victory.