Al Ahli 2
Diop 45’, 89’
Esteghlal 1
Ebrahimi 74’
DUBAI // Returning to the Asian Champions League for the first time since their 2015 final defeat, Al Ahli began the process of healing those wounds at the first available opportunity.
The UAE champions may sit some way from that vintage, momentarily at least, but they still pack a punch, opening their 2017 campaign on Monday night with a hard-fought but ultimately deserved 2-1 victory against Iran’s Esteghlal. It was exactly the start they required.
Straight away, Ahli confirmed their pedigree as Group A’s team to beat, seeing off Esteghlal with only a little fuss at a noisy Rashid Stadium. Al Taawoun and Lokomotiv, pool rivals from Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan respectively, will have taken note: Ahli remain a formidable foe.
In Makhete Diop, they boast a formidable force up front. The baulking striker, a winter signing from Al Dhafra, has an enviable record domestically, scoring 134 goals for his former club, but he had never previously appeared in Asia’s premier club competition. Now there, he seems to feel right at home.
Against Esteghlal, Diop enjoyed a debut to remember. The Senegalese forward had been presented with his first real opportunity in the 40th minute, only to fail to connect properly with Khamis Esmail’s cross and, once the ball inadvertently popped back to him, Diop prodded it onto the outside of the post.
Disappointed not to open the scoring, he soon atoned. Few will come so easily. In first-half stoppage time, Habib Fardan flicked on Everton Ribeiro’s corner and, with Esteghlal defender Milad Zakipour failing to clear, Diop was left to prod into the empty net. It was his seventh goal for the club.
Not content with their slender lead, Ahli sought a second as soon as the second half got under way. First, Ahmed Khalil forced a superb save from goalkeeper Mehdi Rahmati, the UAE striker flicking up a Ribeiro pass before thumping a volley towards goal. Moments later, Rahmati blocked brilliantly from Diop and Ribeiro in quick succession, as Ahli looked set to run away with the match.
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Then, out of nowhere, Esteghlal equalised. On 74 minutes, right-back Khosro Heydari played a deep cross from an unfamiliar position on the left, which was met expertly at Ahli’s back post by midfielder Omid Ebrahimi, who slammed his volley past Majed Naser in the home goal. Beautifully timed, it sent the vocal away support into raptures.
Momentum shifted, the visitors pushed forward for an unlikely winner. Striker Kaveh Rezaei found space in the Ahli area, but really should have done better than his tame shot, while Naser was called into action again before Heydari scuffed his attempt from the rebound.
Ahli brought on Asamoah Gyan as a last resort, yet the 2014 Champions League’s top scorer had next to no time to impact play. Luckily for Ahli, then, that Diop would have the last laugh. With one minute remaining, Ribeiro stood up a cross at Esteghlal’s back post and, sensing his moment to settle the tie, Diop climbed highest and directed his header down into the Iranian’s net. The Rashid Stadium erupted.
Ahli had their victory, their Champions League comeback off and running with three points, their fresh bid at Asia’s leading club competition kick-started in what will feel like the best possible fashion. The UAE club’s 2015 run was underpinned by last-gasp triumphs, and Ahli had another.
The narrow final loss to China’s Guangzhou Evergrande no doubt still hurts, for that is only natural. But, finally for Ahli, the long road to recovery has officially begun.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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