Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Riyadh: Al Shabab coach Amar Souayah described his team’s match against Esteghlal as a ‘cup final’ after the Saudi club overcame the Iranian side 2-1 with a pair of late goals at the King Fahd International Stadium.
With a spot in the last 16 of the AFC Champions League on the line, there was a sense of desperation about the game which sparked to life when Pejman Nouri headed the visitors ahead early in the second half.
But Al Shabab battled back with Fernando Menegazzo converting a penalty to level the score after Mehrdad Oladi was adjudged to have handled a shot by Bader Al Seliteen.
Saeed Al Dossari then netted a breakaway goal deep into stoppage time to secure the win, which sent Al Shabab back to the top of the group with only one round of games left in the group stage..
“The match was like a cup final for us and we had a good performance tonight,” said Souayah, whose team will take on Al Jazira in the United Arab Emirates next week to decide first place in the group.
“We didn’t have a good start to the match and the players were a little bit nervous and they didn’t get into the match until Esteghlal opened the scoring.
“We played against a strong and organised side who gave their best in the match and I’m happy with the performance of the players. The players were really tired due to the heavy schedule but overall I’m happy with what they did today.”
Esteghlal have been knocked out of contention for a place in the AFC Champions League knockout stage, just a year after they reached the semi-finals.