Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Abu Dhabi: Al Ain’s hopes of further silverware this season now rest in the AFC Champions League after the 2016 ACL quarter-finalists were beaten 6-5 on penalties by Al Jazira after the two side’s were locked at 1-1 at the end of Sunday’s final.
Al Jazira, who crashed out of this year’s edition of Asia’s premier club competition at the group stage after picking up just one point from six matches, took the lead at the Sheikh Zayed Sports City stadium on the stroke of the interval through an Ali Mabkhout penalty, which had been awarded after the 2015 AFC Asian Cup top scorer had been fouled inside the area by Al Ain defender Mohammed Fayez.
Having opened the season with a 4-2 Super Cup victory over Al Nasr before finishing runners-up to Al Ahli in the Arabian Gulf League, Al Ain pushed for the equaliser that would put them back in hunt for a seventh President’s Cup title and after mercurial midfielder Omar Abdulrahman had twice hit the woodwork, Brazilian striker Douglas grabbed the equaliser in the 64th minute.
Colombian winger Danilo Asprilla, who scored Al Ain’s second in Isfahan as the inaugural ACL champions booked their place in the last eight of the 2016 edition with a 3-1 aggregate win over Zobahan, saw his powerful shot saved by goalkeeper Ali Khaseif only for Douglas - a first-leg scorer against the Iranians - to fire home the rebound.
The former Sanfrecce Hisroshima striker’s 18th goal in 22 matches completed the scoring in regulation time sending Sunday’s final into a shootout.
Things started well for Al Ain as Mabkhout was unable to repeat his spot-kick success of the first half and saw his penalty saved by Khaled Eisa but after Khaseif had kept out Asprilla, Al Ain defender Mohanad Salem sent his sudden-death effort against the crossbar to hand Al Jazira the 2016 UAE President’s Cup and a place in next year’s AFC Champions League.
Photo: Al Jazira