Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Shah Alam: Iraqi debutants Naft Al Wasat Club recorded a stunning 3-3 draw with Lebanon's Al Sadaka in their opening match in Group A on Friday in the Zone 1 qualifiers of the AFC Futsal Club Championship 2013.
In the keenly contested match played at the Panasonic Sports Complex, the Iraqis had a brilliant start after captain Firas Mohammed found the net in the very first minute of the match through a silky counter-attack to put the Lebanese under pressure from the beginning.
In what appeared to be the contrasting final result, the Lebanese were on top of the game throughout but their inefficiency at the final third combined with outstanding goalkeeping from Ahmed Duraid kept all their efforts at bay in the first half.
The Iraqis doubled their lead in the 13th minute in yet another well-coordinated move. Al Sadaka’s goalie Rabie El Kakhi, who played as the forward player in last year’s final in Kuwait from Al Sports Club, fumbled while gathering Mustafa Bachay’s cross at the centre and goalscorer Karrar Mohsin tapped in to make it 2-0.
Al Sadaka’s fight-back began within less than 30 seconds of the second half after lapses of concentration from Naft players gave a vital lifeline to the Lebanese as Hassan Chaito made it 2-1.
With Al Sadaka looking for the equaliser and being adventurous, Naft scored their second counter-attack goal from Bachay to make it 3-1 again in the 24th minute. Three minutes later a long-distance effort from Al Sadaka’s Serbian import Rajic Predrag lifted the spirit of the Lebanese making it 3-2.
There was a huge relief in Al Sadaka’s camp after Hassan Chaito capitalised on the mistake of the Naft defenders and rescued a point in the 36th minute with his second of the match.
“It was better getting a point rather than to lose it, isn’t it?” questioned Al Sadaka coach Hussein Dib.
“In fact, we made lots of mistakes and had to pay the price because this Iraqi team (Naft) are very strong in counter-attack and we failed to close the gap to them so they keep on hitting us.
“The main problem was our failure to convert chances otherwise it would have been a little bit comfortable for us,” he said.
His counterpart Haitham Abbas also paid tribute to his goalkeeper Duraid who pulled strings of saves throughout the match.
“He is very good, and a commanding figure in the squad. Besides, he is very strong as he had a brilliant match today,” the coach summed up Duraid’s performance.
“The Lebanese are one of the contenders so winning a point is good but we should have defended properly to walk away with all three points,” he added.
<strong slick-uniqueid="715">Goals**| **Al Sadaka ** | **Naft Al Wasat**** |
| Hassan Chaito 21', 36' | Faris Mohamed 1' |
| Rajic Predrag 28' | Karrar Mohasin 13' |
| Mustafa Bachay 24' |