AL SADD 2 AL AHLI 1
Al Sadd - Ibrahim 34', Tabata 79'
Al Ahli - Grafite 15'
Man of the Match - Khalfan Ibrahim (Al Sadd)
The first crack appeared in Al Ahli's 2014 season and it proved enough to wreck their Asian Champions League dream.
The recently crowned UAE champions and new Arabian Gulf Cup holders, two thirds of the way to an unprecedented domestic treble, were bidding to play the role of history boys on the continent, too, but failed at the final hurdle in Qatar won Tuesday night.
Requiring at least a draw to progress to the knockout stages for the first time, Ahli simply could not get the job done, defeated 2-1 by Al Sadd at the Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.
The result, coupled with Al Hilal’s 1-0 victory against Sepahan, caused Ahli to slip from first in Group D to third, which ultimately was not enough.
It seemed set to be so different when Ahli were provided the best possible start as Grafite swept home Ciel’s cross on 14 minutes. It was the Brazilian’s third goal of his debut campaign on the continent.
Parity was restored 11 minutes before half time, though, with Sadd’s Khalfan Ibrahim, the live-wire striker, capitalising on Basheer Saeed’s mistake to offer the hosts renewed hope.
Sadd knew three points would see them survive in the competition at Ahli’s expense and they got the job done on 79 minutes. Rodrigo Tabata registered what would be the winner, drilling home a fine strike to leave Ahmed Mahmoud, Ahli’s goalkeeper, rooted to the spot.
The visitors tried to rebound, but Grafite was thwarted from another fairy-tale moment late on. Ahli’s quadruple aspirations extinguished, they will be further frustrated that they could not follow Al Ain and Al Jazira in qualifying for the last 16.
This defeat will be particularly difficult to take, yet Ahli must quickly dust themselves off. Take the President’s Cup next month and they will rewrite the history books anyway.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
Follow us on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
The biog
Name: Samar Frost
Born: Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: Singing, music and socialising with friends
Favourite singer: Adele
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
Wednesday's results
Finland 3-0 Armenia
Faroes Islands 1-0 Malta
Sweden 1-1 Spain
Gibraltar 2-3 Georgia
Romania 1-1 Norway
Greece 2-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Liechtenstein 0-5 Italy
Switzerland 2-0 Rep of Ireland
Israel 3-1 Latvia
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
