2 days of treat for football fans

Last week, Saudi football fans were ecstatic and overwhelmed with joy. Two back-to-back wins enabled Saudi teams to reach the quarterfinal of both the AFC Champions League and Asian Federation Cup.
On Tuesday, Al-Ittifaq and Al-Ahli both made it happen. Ittiffaq in Dammam beat a tough opponent, Alsuwaiq from Oman, 1-0 on the last minute. Ittifaq gave us hope in the Asian Federation Cup. I still believe that they are the best and the No. 1 contender for this championship.
As for Al-Ahli, they had the most difficult win among all four teams. When they beat Jazirah in Abu Dhabi, the match ended 3-3 and then the penalty kicks were to decide who the winner is. Ahli and Jazirah battled hard from the first minute as Ahli scored then Jazirah followed. Jazirah and Ahli scored one after the other. It was indeed one breathtaking match. Finally, the penalty kick played in our favor and Ahli won at last.
On Wednesday, Al-Ittihad in Jeddah beat Piroozi 3-0. Ittihad’s squad took the match seriously and even though the 1st half ended 2-0, Ittihad pulled through and scored another goal causing a rage in the stadium.
And finally, it was the Blue Devils that had a spectacular match as they went beyond expectations and beat Baniyas from UAE in Riyadh 7-1.
Hilal played a do-or-die match and played their best of the season. They ended the 1st half 3-0 and even though they reached their 7th goal in the 88th minute, the players didn’t stop attacking Baniyas and still played like they were the underdogs trying to get even. Their fans got to again see the Hilal fighting spirit that has been its hallmark.
Now that the sports scene in the country is very much alive, we only wish that the three teams in the Asian Champions League will not have to meet with each other in the quarterfinals. As for me, my money is on Ittifaq.