AFC Champions League Elite: Late goals help al Ahli FC Nasaf; Al Ittihad loses to Al Wahda

Defending champion Al-Ahli fought back from two goals to achieve a 4-2 victory on the Nasaf van Uzbekistan in the Asian Champions League elite in Jeddah on Monday thanks to stop-time goals of Riyad Mahrez and Mohammed Sulaiman.

Husain Norchaev scored twice to give a head start of two goals during the break, but the recent signing of Al-Ahli hit Enzo Millot twice in three second half minutes to draw Matthias Jaissle’s being.

The Frenchman punished a mistake by goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov in the 65th minute to throw in an empty goal in an empty goal in an empty goal and used hesitant defense to score again quickly.

Mahrez threw home four minutes in the added time, and Sulaiman scored 11 minutes later from close by to 10 men after the late broadcast of Alibek Davronov.

«Everyone had to give 100% in the second half; we had to do more and attack the box to score goals, and we did it,» said Millot, who came to Al-Ahli from Stuttgart.

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The victory earned Al-Ahli an opening of three points in the Western League phase, in which the 12 teams play eight games and the top eight finishers continue to March’s knockout rounds.

Al ittihad rumbles

Saudi Pro League champion Al-Entihad slid to a 2-1 defeat by Al-Wahda of the United Arab Emirates, where defender Lucas Pimenta scored the winner deep in extra time.

Steven Berwijn had given the side of Laurent Blanc the lead with a powerful ride status of a distance in the 21st minute, but the broadcast of Muhannad Al-Shanqiti for a reckless challenge on Facundo Krespzky changed the game.

Caio Caneedo leveled from close by in the 62nd minute and deep in added time, Pimenta was jumped after Pedrag Rajkovic blocked the header of Ala Zouhir.

Sharjah van de Vae also took a victory with two stop-time goals against 10-man al-Gharafa, achieving a 4-3 victory for the Asian Champions League two winner of last season.

The first half of the goals of Yacine Brahimi and Joselu brought the visiting Qataris in control before Rey Manaj and Ousmane Camara met around the hour to level.

Joselu recovered the lead of Al-Gharafa, but an 86th minute red card for goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar waved the game in favor of Sharjah, Manaj hit a free kick and Igor Coronado slides a 100th-minute winner.

Qatar’s al-Sadd fought back to draw 1-1 with Iraq’s al-Shorta in Baghdad, Hassan Al-Haydos scored in the 62nd minute to cancel Dominique Mendy’s bought 28th minute opener for the hosts.

Published on September 16, 2025