Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Amman: Two-time AFC Cup winners Al Faisaly of Jordan advanced to the Round of 16 with a game to spare after a Khalil Baniateyah brace helped them to a 4-2 win over already eliminated Tajikistan club FC Istiklol on Tuesday.
Baniateyah opened the scoring shortly after the half-hour mark before Mohamad Al Refai doubled the lead five minutes later to put the hosts 2-0 up at the break.
A Yaseen Bakheet strike just before the hour looked to have put the game out of sight, but goals from Oleksandr Kablash and Parvizjon Umarbaev gave last year’s finalists Istiklol hope until Baniateyah restored the two goal cushion with four minutes’ remaining to ensure the Jordanians took the points they needed to secure their fifth appearance in the last 16.
“We achieved our target by getting the three points from the match and qualifying to the knockout stage. Our concentration now will be on finishing on top of the group in the last match against Naft Al Wasat,” said Al Faisaly coach Rateb Al Awadat.
“We played offensive football today and we created many scoring chances while we scored four goals.
“The opponents pulled two goals back but we managed to finish the match with an important victory.”
Al Faisaly were on top right from the off at Amman International Stadium and threatened on numerous occasions before Baniateyah’s 33rd minute opener.
Bakheet surged into the penalty area from the left before squaring for Baniateyah who stabbed home from close-range.
And the home side’s second on 38 minutes was also made on the wings, albeit from the opposite flank as a cross into the area from the right was cleared only as far as Al Refai who hammered his shot past Nikola Stosic from eight yards out.
The second half began in much the same fashion with Al Faisaly dominating proceedings and soon extending their lead.
On the 59th minute, second half substitute Mahdi Alameh found Bakheet who again worked his way into the area before beating Stosic.
However, Istiklol were not finished without a fight and an Akhtam Nazarov cross from the right was met by Kablash and turned in to reduce the deficit on 69 minutes.
And just five minutes later the score was 3-2 as Umarbaev combined well with Manuchehr Dzhalilov to fire past Al Faisaly goalkeeper Mohamad Shatnawi.
But Isitklol’s run of continental defeats, which had been four on the bounce ahead of Tuesday’stie, was assured when Baniateyah scored his second of the night on 86 minutes after beating the Istiklol offside trap.
“As I said before, the match was very hard against a strong team who have a good experience in this competition. Al Faisaly had a big desire to play in an attacking style today and they scored from their chances,” said Istiklol coach Mubin Ergashev.
“We made many defensive mistakes which allowed our opponents to score several goals. We tried to make a good comeback and we scored two goals but we couldn’t continue with the same performance until the end.”
Photo: Lagardère Sports