Majed Mohammed (left) of Eljaish and Al Ahli’s Mansour Al Harbi vie for the ball during their side’s AFC Champions League last 16 stage in Doha yesterday. RIGHT: Sebastian Tagliabue (left) of Al Shabab challenges Al Gharafa’s Nene during their match.
Doha: Captain Anderson came to Eljaish’s rescue as the AFC Champions League debutants denied 2012 finalists Al Ahli a first-leg advantage as yesterday’s last 16 AFC Champions League tie ended 1-1 following an entertaining contest at Al Rayyan Stadium.
Motaz Al Mosa’s header in first-half stoppage time had seemingly put unbeaten Group C winners Al Ahli in pole position for a return to the quarter-finals ahead of next week’s return fixture in Jeddah.
But Anderson (Anderson Vieira Martins) capitalised on a defensive mistake from Al Ahli to level the tie.
Meanwhile in another match, Nasser Al Shamrani struck seven minutes from time as Al Shabab came back from a goal down to hand Qatar’s Al Gharafa a 2-1 defeat in the last-16 meeting yesterday.
Saudi international Al Shamrani scored with a confident finish after Sebastian Tagliabue had levelled the scores for Al Shabab following Mark Bresciano’s opener for the home side three minutes prior to the half-time interval.
Al Gharafa started the game in impressive fashion, with Alex sending his fourth minute header just wide of Waleed Abdullah’s goal.
Four minutes later, a cross-cum-shot from Nene (Anderson Luiz de Carvalho) flew agonisingly between the target and the late run of Alex.
Al Shabab managed to weather that early storm and, as the half wore on, Michel Preud’homme’s side established a foothold, with Marcelo Camacho shooting just wide eight minutes before the break when referee Kim Jong-hyeok awarded the Saudis an free kick after goalkeeper Qasem Burhan was judged to have held on to the ball beyond the regulation six seconds.
Al Gharafa were in front. Djibril Cisse headed the ball across goal and Bresciano pushed his shot over the line, despite the vain attempt by Naif Al Qadi to clear to safety.
Ten minutes after the restart, however, Al Shabab were back on level terms when Tagliabue – signed at the end of last season from Al Ettifaq after impressing in the AFC Cup – headed the ball down to Fernando Menegazzo, whose return pass resulted in the Argentinian curling the ball beyond Burhan and into the far corner of the net. In the 65th minute, Fernando almost put his side in front, only for Burhan to keep the ball out, but there was little the goalkeeper could do about Al Shamrani’s winner in the 83rd minute.
The Saudi international raced onto a through ball that caught the home defence sleeping and his measured right-foot strike was comfortably beyond the reach of Burhan, ensuring Al Shabab go into the second leg with an advantage to defend. AGENCIES
