Al Jazira 2
Jones 45’, Mabkhout 65’
Al Sadd 2
Sanhaji 22’, 88’
Jazira win 5-4 on penalties
ABU DHABI // Al Jazira clinched their place in the group stages of the Asian Champions League amid high drama on Tuesday as one of the most celebrated and decorated midfielders in world football bowed out in a highly entertaining play-off at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.
Xavi, the Barcelona and Spain legend who now plies his trade in Doha with the Qatari side Al Sadd, missed the first penalty in the shoot-out after the tie finished level at 2-2 after 120 minutes of action. Jazira ultimately prevailed 5-4.
Read more: Al Sadd, and Barcelona great Xavi, are Al Jazira's obstacles to Asian Champions League groups
With four winner’s medal in the European equivalent, Xavi will have to wait at least until 2017 if he hopes to add an Asian medal after ballooning his spot kick high over the bar.
However, a meek effort from the Jazira substitute Salim Rashid saw the visitors draw level and Abdullah Mousa’s tame effort was lucky to creep in after the Sadd goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb got a strong hand to it. Sadd’s seventh effort from the spot saw Hamza Sanhaji crash the ball against the bar to send Jazira through to the competition proper. They join Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal and Tractorsazi Tabriz of Iran in Group C.
It was a ding-dong throughout and Jazira were lucky to take the game to an additional 30 minutes of extra time after Khalfan Ibrahim’s last-gasp penalty at the end of the regulation 90 was saved by Ali Khaseif. Ibrahim was brought down by Sultan Al Suwaidi and the Qatar international’s effort was blocked by the Jazira goalkeeper force the game into extra time.
Sanhaji scored an early goal for the visitors and later struck the equaliser after Jazira strikers Kenwyne Jones and Ali Mabkhout had put Jazira ahead until two minutes from time.
A mistake by Khalid Sebil gifted Sanhaji the first goal. The Jazira defender rolled the ball back towards his goalkeeper only to see it fall into the path of the Sadd striker to gleefully collect it and score from inside the box.
Trinidad and Tobago international Jones, who joined the Abu Dhabi club on a short-term deal until the end of the season last month, levelled the scores on the stroke of half time when he leapt high above the Sadd defence to head in a cross from the Brazilian Thiago Neves.
Neves had an opportunity to put Jazira ahead after the restart. Mabkhout had set him free in front of goal but the Brazilian could only manage a weak shot straight at Al Sheeb.
Moments later Mabkhout put the hosts in front when he curled home a sumptuous free kick from 30 yards.
But Xavi showed he could still produce a moment of magic when the Spaniard picked out Sanhaji with a looping pass for the striker to beat three defenders and lash the ball home at Khaseif’s near post.
What they said:
Henk ten Cate, the Jazira coach, praised his players for their “never say die” attitude.
“This was a good advertisement for football in this country,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for this team. As I said at the pre-match conference my belief was high.
“Jones scored a very important goal for us to go into the break 1-1. We played better in the second half and could have scored a few more goals from the chances we created.”
Jesualdo Ferreira, Sadd’s Portuguese coach, was gracious in defeat.
“The better team on the night won,” he said. “We scored an early goal and Jazira reacted well. Of course we did have a chance to win but that didn’t happen and Jazira finished as the happier team.
“We have had a lot of problems in the last two months but now a lot of people can ask questions of our performance. The fact is that we didn’t play as well as we would have hoped.”
Al Shabab beaten 2-0 by Bunyodkor to bow out of Asian Champions League
Bunyodkor 2
Shomurodov 2’, 35’
Al Shabab 0
Al Shabab failed to go beyond the play-off in the Asian Champions League after Eldor Shomurodov’s double sent Bunyodkor through to the group stages on Tuesday in Tashkent.
Shomurodov put the Uzbekistan side ahead in the second minute and was on target again 10 minutes before half time for the two-time semi-finalists to earn a spot in Group B alongside Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia, Iran’s Zobahan and Qatar’s Lekhwiya.
Shabab rarely threatened the Bunyodkor defence in the first half and fluffed an opportunity to close the gap in the second half.
Shabab’s Brazilian forward Henrique Lavannor’s effort from inside the penalty area was blocked by the feet of goalkeeper Murotjon Zukhurov before strike partner Juninho fired the ensuing rebound over the crossbar.
Shomurodov sidefooted into the back of the net from 10 yards after good build-up play from midfielders Chaker Zouaghi and Dostonbek Khamdamov to give the hosts an early lead and then completed a simple finish on a low cross by Akramjon Komilov to seal Shabab’s fate.
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