GUANGZHOU, CHINA // In the end, it was simply one step too far for Al Ahli.
One match from being crowned Asian Champions League winners, one more colossal effort required that ultimately proved just beyond them.
Guangzhou Evergrande were the victors, on the night and in the tie, triumphing 1-0 in Saturday’s second leg at a teeming Tianhe Stadium to take it 1-0 on aggregate.
Elkeson got the goal, supplied the decisive strike that secured the trophy. Ahli concluded a fraight encounter with 10 men, when Salmeen Khamis first saw a straight red and then the red mist descended.
Yet Guangzhou, the 2013 champions, were hoisted to that rarefied place, becoming only the second side to lift the title for a second time.
[Gallery: Al Ahli fall at last hurdle in bid for historic Asian Champions League title]
Ahli, those knockout-round rookies, were knocked cold and then knocked out. What always seemed the impossible dream, despite the coups and the comebacks, had finally run its course. The UAE’s wait for another Asian club champion lives on.
In truth, Guangzhou always represented Ahli’s toughest test thus far, stacked with Brazilian talent and coached by Luiz Felipe Scolari, the man who led the Brazil national team to the 2002 World Cup
It was a compatriot who clinched another trinket for the collection, when Elkeson swivelled in the Ahli area on 52 minutes, let the ball run through Khamis and slotted past Ahmed Dida in the visiting goal. The Tianhe, packed tight with 42,499 fans, pulsated and it pounded. Guangzhou had lift-off.
Until that point they had the upperhand, with Ricardo Goulart and Zheng Long forcing a couple of first-half saves from Dida. Ahli had one of their own in the 27t minute, but Rodrigo Lima could only sting the palms of Guangzhou’s Zeng Cheng.
[Reaction: Cosmin Olaroiu: ACL final the start, not the end for 'fantastic' Al Ahli]
Ahli’s chances seemed to end when Khamis’s night terminated early, the Emirati defender sent off not long after the hour for an apparent stamp on Zheng. Twisted with rage, Khamis had to be hauled down the tunnel by members of the Ahli bench, an ugly denouement to what had been a competent campaign.
Ahli did have one final burst, though, but Lima’s tame shot on the breakaway was blocked and the rebound, ricocheting off his body, sailed over. It was over for Ahli, Guangzhou just too strong, too schooled. Ahli’s fairy-tale foray had come up agonisingly short.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final, first leg:
Liverpool 5
Salah (35', 45 1'), Mane (56'), Firmino (61', 68')
Roma 2
Dzeko (81'), Perotti (85' pen)
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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Scoreline
Bournemouth 2
Wilson 70', Ibe 74'
Arsenal 1
Bellerin 52'
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
The team
Videographer: Jear Velasquez
Photography: Romeo Perez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Models: Meti and Clinton at MMG
Video assistant: Zanong Maget
Social media: Fatima Al Mahmoud
Royal Birkdale Golf Course
Location: Southport, Merseyside, England
Established: 1889
Type: Private
Total holes: 18
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)