ABU DHABI // They are likely to be kicking themselves for some time to come.
Five men last night got the chance to win a Dh1 million jackpot at the Al Jazira Football Club but could not quite hit the sweet spot.
The half-time crossbar challenge, held during the match in which Al Jazira beat Dubai's Al Wasl 3-1 at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, required the men to kick a ball from the centre spot and strike the horizontal crossbar.
The challengers stepped up in front of the 28,000-strong crowd but sadly fell short.
If more than one of the men had been able to hit the bar dead on, they would have divided the award, but none were able to get the ball close enough to the target.
Although nobody claimed the prize, the event was still a success as it achieved its main goal - persuading more fans to attend the matches.
Last night's crowd was a new UAE pro-league record. Abdullah al Hadi, the last of the five to make the attempt, said he felt too nervous to do it successfully.
"It was not easy at all but I didn't think it would be with such a prize," he said. "But it was good to try and I think many people will want to get out there and have a go in the future."
This was the third game in which Al Jazira adverts. In August, no one was able to score a goal from the halfway line for a chance to share a prize of Dh25,000, but two fans managed to do so at the following home match, splitting the amount.