Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
London: Saudi Pro League champions Al Ahli added another piece of silverware to their ever-expanding collection by claiming the 2016 Saudi Super Cup with a 4-3 penalty shootout win after a 1-1 draw with Al Hilal in London.
Syrian striker Omar Al Somah was highly influential – scoring his team’s equaliser during normal time, and then dispatching the decisive spot kick to give Al Ahli the cup for the first time in the competition’s four-year history.
The match – played at Craven Cottage, the home of English Championship club Fulham – was the second successive Saudi Super Cup to be held in London after last year’s mach at Loftus Road.
With a crowd of over 16,000 in attendance, the two clubs put on an entertaining advertisement for the Saudi game, but it took until just after hour mark for Al Hilal to take the lead through Mohammed Al Breik.
The 23-year-old defender’s perfectly placed 20-yard free-kick snuck in at the near post, much to the delight of coach Gustavo Matosas and the Al Hilal bench.
But the Riyadh club’s lead would last only eight minutes, as prolific Syrian forward Al Somah capitalised on a defensive error to hammer home a volley from ten yards and level the tie on 69 minutes.
With neither side being able to find a winner, the match went to penalties where Al Hilal took an early advantage when Al Ahli’s Brazilian midfielder Luiz Carlos struck his effort over the crossbar.
But consecutive saves by Saudi international goalkeeper Yasser Al Mosailem denied Al Hilal’s Hawsawi and Al Ruwaili, giving Al Somah the chance to wrap up the win – which he duly converted, leading to boisterous celebrations from the Al Ahli players and fans.