Muharraq Club

A first AFC Cup appearance in four years for Bahrain’s most decorated club saw them pitted against two debutants; Palestine’s Balata Center and Jordan’s Al Salt who hosted Group B in addition to Lebanon’s Al Ansar.

The nation’s all-time top scorer Ismael Abdullatif showed why even at the age of 35, he remains Muharraq’s talisman, rounding the goalkeeper and slotting home from Waleed Al Hayam’s cross to earn his side a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Al Salt to get their campaign off to a winning start.

The next game against Balata Center looked an easy task on paper, even more so as Syrian defender Fares Arnaout headed home the opener midway through the first half. However, Muharraq were punished severely for their complacency as veteran striker Khaled Salem struck in added time of the first half and again five minutes after the restart.

A Mohamed Abdulrahman header from close range drew Muharraq level, but Salem entered the history books, becoming the first-ever Palestinian player to score a hat-trick in the AFC Cup as Muharraq were beaten against all odds and the group cards were shuffled.

Going into the final matchday, all teams sat on three points, so it was win or bust for Muharraq against Al Ansar, and the Bahrainis were staring elimination in the eye after 17 minutes as Hassan Maatouk beat goalkeeper Seyed Mohammed Jafar at his near post to put the Lebanese side in the lead.

At crunch time, coach Isa Al Sadoon’s men showed their never-say-die attitude, mounting a marvellous comeback as Ahmed Saleh and Abdullatif scored before the break and Brazilian Tiago Real tapped in the third just 10 minutes from time to confirm Muharraq’s place in the next round as Group B winners.

The biggest challenge yet arrived in the West Zonal semi-final as Muharraq faced reigning champions Al Ahed of Lebanon. A fiery game stayed goalless until midway through the second half, but propelled by a large home crowd, Muharraq finally took the lead following a quick counter-attack that Moses Jona finished into the back of the net.

With the Lebanese side chasing the equaliser, gaps appeared in their defence and Muharraq took advantage, netting twice inside the last five minutes as goals from Ahmed Al Sherooqi and Abdullah Al Hayki secured a 3-0 win and a date with Kuwait SC in the West Zonal Final.

Kuwait SC

The return of three-time AFC Cup winners Kuwait SC to the competition in 2019 after a three-year absence ended in tears as they crashed out of the group stage, and with the 2020 edition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kuwaitis were eager to make amends when the 2021 AFC Cup kicked off in May.

Kuwait SC had their work cut out for them when they were drawn against two-time AFC Cup champions Al Faisaly of Jordan in Group C which was to be played in Amman, and the task looked nearly impossible when they started with a 3-3 draw against debutants Tishreen from Syria.

The Kuwaiti side led three times and were clawed back every time. Tunisian forward Ahmed Akaichi opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, while Faisal Al Harbi scored twice in the second half but a defensive mistake allowed the Syrians to equalise with the very last kick of the ball.

The struggle continued as Palestine’s Al Ama’ari Center led Muharraq 1-0 deep into the second half and a second consecutive group stage exit loomed large. Everything suddenly changed when Akaichi popped up in crucial moments, netting a quick double salvo before Sami Al Sanea struck the third from an impossible angle and Youssef Nasser rounded off a 4-1 victory from the spot in added time.

With Al Faisaly having won both their opening games, Kuwait SC knew they had to beat their hosts on the final matchday if they were to progress any further in the 2021 AFC Cup. That man Akaichi delivered the goods once more, heading home Nasser’s header from the right at the far post with his goal two minutes after the restart proving the winner and sending Kuwait into the knockout stage at the expense of their Matchday Three opponents.

Four months and a historic summer transfer window later, Kuwait SC looked a different side as they took on Al Salt in the West Zonal semi-final. New signing El Mehdi Berrahme teed up Al Harbi to power home the opener inside the opening quarter of an hour, and former Monaco and Norwich City forward Dieumerci Mbokani headed in expertly from Abdulmohsen Al Turkomani’s cross to confirm the win.

Now all that remains standing between Kuwait SC and a record fifth AFC Cup final appearance are Wednesday opponents Muharraq Club, who are in turn eyeing a third appearance in the competition’s decider.