Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Riyadh: Al Hilal and Ettifaq will meet in the final of the 2011/12 Crown Prince Cup following victories in the semi-finals that had a distinctly AFC Champions League flavour.
Crown Prince Cup holders Al Hilal, looking for their fifth successive title, defeated arch-rivals and fellow ACL 2012 qualifiers Al Ittihad 2-0, while Ettifaq, who are looking to qualify for this year's edition of Asia's premier club competition via the playoffs, edged Al Ahli Saudi Arabia's third representatives in the continental clash, 2-1 thanks to a stoppage-time penalty.
Making the most of their home advantage, Al Hilal took a 14th minute lead at the King Fahd International Stadium through Korean forward Yoo Byung-soo before Nawaf Al Abed, who famously scored straight from kick-off in a 2009 Prince Faisal bin Fahad Cup against Al Shoalah only to see his two-second strike chalked off the records as the game was declared void due to Al Hilal fielding too many overage players in the second-half, netted the winner in the 72nd minute.
Ettifaq booked their place in the final courtesy of a penalty from Argentine attacker Sebastian Tagliabue six-minutes into time added on in the match at Jeddah's Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium after Al Ahli's on-form Omani Ahmad Al Hosni had cancelled out Hamad Al Hamad's 22nd minute opener with 19 minutes left on the clock.
Al Hilal open their 2012 AFC Champions League campaign on March 7 when they host Tehran giants Piroozi Ettifaq travel to Iran for their 2012 AFC Champions League West Zone Playoff clash on February 18 when they will meet the winners of the match between Esteghlal and Zob Ahan which takes place eight days earlier.
Al Ahli, ACL quarter-finalists in 2005, play their first fixture in this year's edition of Asia's premier club competition on March 7 against Qatar's Lekhwiya, who are making their first appearance in the tournament while two-time champions Al Itthad open their ACL 2012 Group B campaign a day earlier when they host Uzbekistan's Pakhtakor.