Al Ain were denied what would have been a vital victory in the Asian Champions League on Tuesday, when Omar Al Somah’s last-minute goal secured another 2-2 draw for Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli.
The UAE club, runners-up last year, looked set to glean three points from a pulsating match at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, but Syrian international Al Somah struck right at the death to keep the Group C leaders in pole position to make the knockout stages.
Al Ain, who slip to third in the standings, were provided the perfect start on six minutes, when captain Omar Abdulrahman’s knockdown was prodded into the Ahli goal by Ismail Ahmed. The UAE defender had only recently returned from injury.
However, Ahli were level two minutes before half time. The Saudi champions, who drew 2-2 with Al Ain in the corresponding fixture last month, had Al Somah to thank, the prolific frontman reacting fastest to a flick-on from a corner to head past Khalid Essa in the home goal.
Al Ain responded well, though, and thought they had clinched the points five minutes from time. Thrust into action on his own goalline, Al Somah handled the ball, leaving Abdulrahman to place his penalty low into the bottom corner. Yet the Ahli forward would redeem himself in the 89th minute, when he dispatched a brilliant left-footed volley from the edge of the Al Ain penalty area.
With two matches remaining, Al Ain are one point off second-placed Zobahan, with a trip to the Iranians next up in two weeks.
“Congratulations to my team for a good match,” said Zoran Mamic, the Al Ain manager. “We played 80 to 90 per cent of the game well. We had many, many chances. Then somebody came and stole the victory, three points, but this is football.
“When somebody steals the three points, this is a disaster. I am very disappointed. We have to win the other two games to pass the group. It is simple.
“We deserved to take three points today. If they had not had help from referee, we would have done. If you give a penalty for a handball, it is a red card. It was also 300 per cent a foul on Mohanad [Salem] for the last goal. This is part of life, but it is recently always against Al Ain.”
Elsewhere, Al Ahli took a huge step towards the knockouts with a convincing 3-1 victory against Al Taawoun in Saudi Arabia. Striker Makhete Diop notched the opener on 37 minutes, redirecting Everton Ribeiro’s free kick into the home goal. The visitors then doubled their advantage on the stroke of half time, when Ribeiro curled home a superb free kick from the Taawoun byline.
Diop made safe the points just before the hour, applying the finishing touch to Ahmed Khalil’s pass following a moment of indecision in the hosts’ defence.
Frenchman Alassane N’Diaye pulled one back for Taawoun shortly after, but Ahli hung on for a rare away victory in Asia.
Runners-up in 2015, the UAE champions jump to the top of Group A, level on points with Iran’s Esteghlal. Ahli are seeking to qualify from the groups for only the second time in their history.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport