AFC Champions League Two
Istiklol’s Amirbek Juraboev cancelled out Ibrahim Gbadamosi’s early strike before Komolafe struck late to give the Tajikistan side the second win of their campaign.
Al Zawraa signalled their intent inside two minutes when Mahdi Al Humaidan rose to meet a Hasan Abdulkareem set-piece, only to send his header over the bar.
The visitors, however, didn’t have to wait long for the opener, Ibrahim Gbadamosi pouncing on a poor clearance in the fourth minute from just outside the area before unleashing a right-footed effort that curled into the top right corner with Istiklol goalkeeper Nikola Stosic caught flat-footed.
Istiklol gradually grew into the contest and after a long-range effort from captain Ehsoni Panjshanbe, their sustained pressure finally paid off in the 20th minute.
Amirbek Juraboev, who had moments earlier struck the post with a close-range header, made no mistake the second time around as he nodded home from inside the six-yard box to level the tie.
Istiklol’s Siavash Haghnazari then forced Al Zawraa custodian Jalal Hassan into a fine save just before the half-hour mark while Nizar Al Rashdan was denied by Stosic following a fast break.
Stosic was kept on his toes after the restart with Abdulkareem forcing the keeper into a low save in the 49th minute, before Al Rashdan tried his luck from 35 yards but the Serb stayed firm.
Istiklol continued to absorb a sustained period of pressure with Stosic again coming to Al Zawraa’s rescue in the 69th minute when he denied Abdulkareem from inside the area.
However, the Tajikistan side turned the tables on Al Zawraa in the 84th minute when Masrur Gafurov teed up Komolafe with a well-timed through pass, leaving the Nigerian forward to slot the ball home past a hapless Hassan.
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