Ahli down Dhofar for GCC title

MANAMA, 23 March — Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia won their second GCC title when they beat Oman’s Dhofar 2-0 in the final match of the 19th GCC Clubs Soccer Championship last night at the National Stadium. The Saudi national team star striker Ibrahim Al Suwayed was the man-of-the-match for scoring both goals as he won the top scorer’s prize with five goals.

The victory gave the Saudis an unbeaten record of 4-1-0, one point ahead of archrivals Moharraq who beat Al Shabab of the UAE in a match that did not have any effect on the overall standing as Moharraq claimed second spot.

Al Ahli, the winners of the 1985 championship in Saudi Arabia, had no alternative but to clinch the maximum points as a draw or a defeat would have revived Moharraq’s hopes and would have given them the opportunity to claim the title through their match with Al Shabab. Al Ahli started off carefully building their attacks and not allowing Dhofar players to make any serious inroads as the first half ended goalless.

In the second half, the Saudis seemed more dangerous as they unleashed their real potentials to slot home twice in a matter of five minutes. Both goals were masterminded by Obaid Al Dossary, another outstanding forward who was in a superb form when he fed Al Suwayed twice and the latter made the most of them to fire home both goals in the 54th and 59th minutes.

At the other end, Dhofar failed to show consistency in the second half and the lack of fitness and correct passing was obvious amongt most of the players. Dhofar’s goalkeeper, Bader Juma’a , who was adjudged best goalkeeper of the championship, had to fly twice to make flex saves and he denied other serious Saudi efforts.

Oman’s Slovakian coach Joseph Psenek made several substitutions by introducing Salim Al Kathiri, Ahmed Basheer and Abo-Baker Abdullrazzaq, who however, did not add much to the team’s ineffective performance.

Things got worse for the Omanis when they had their captain Farajallah Fareh dismissed for a harsh challenge on Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Shaikh in the closing stage of the game.

Despite playing without some of their key players such as suspended defender Khalid Al Shenaif, Egypt’s midfielder Ridha Al Sayed ‘Seeka’ and talented striker Khalid Qahwaji, who was on the bench, Al Ahli maintained their lead and kept the ball in control during most of the match proceedings to secure the outcome.

“Our team performed well today despite some tactical errors early in the game, but we have recovered and scored from two opportunistic chances,” said the Belgian coach of the Al Ahli team, Loca Berzovich during a press conference held after the game. The absence of some players did not affect the team which showed a great understanding and remarkable fitness abilities, added Berzovich.