Keeper Abdullah Kaabi won the GCC Champions League final for Bahrain’s Al Muharraq on Sunday stopping Mubarak Hassan’s sudden death penalty to beat Al Wasl at Zabeel Stadium 5-4 on penalties, reversing a 3-1 first leg deficit from the first leg to tie 4-4 in normal time.
Al Wasl had the worst possible start going a goal and a man down on nine minutes. Keeper Majid Nasser was the culprit, red carded for kicking Ebrahim Ali and head-butting Esmail Abdul Latif, as they attempted to collect the ball from the back of net, after Muharraq’s opener.
This needless reaction to Jamal Braho’s header from a Hussain Ali left cross was what set the tone for an ill-tempered evening, as Rashid Ali came on for Khalifa Abdullah to make up for Nasser’s self-imposed exile.
The fracas followed closely on from Juan Olivera’s seventh-minute miss, when the Uruguayan blasted a free shot from Darwish Ahmad’s right cross that was fumbled by Saleh Abdul Humaid.
Mariano Donda found himself out of options from a run on 43 minutes, but despite being encircled by defenders on the edge of the area he toe-poked a lob that Kaabi had to tip over the bar.
Al Wasl found their equaliser just two minutes later when a ball worked up to the left corner was played back to Yassir Salem on the edge of the box to neatly tuck into the top left corner of the net.
Muharraq hit a second on 51 minutes when Waheed Esmail fell trying to stop Saeed Mahmoud’s through ball to Esmail Abdul Latif. Abdul Latif pounced on the mistake, going around Rashid Ali to put the Bahrainis in control.
Al Wasl’s implosion from last Tuesday’s 3-1 first leg lead in Bahrain was complete on 65 minutes when Saleh Abdul Humaid’s freekick, teed up by Saeed Mahmoud, set the second leg score to 3-1 Muharraq, making it 4-4 on aggregate.
Al the frustration mounted, Rashid Eisa put Al Wasl down to nine men on 79 minutes when, fouled by Rashid Abdul Rahman, he rose to head butt Saeed Mahmoud before being promptly sent off.
Muharraq came close to winning the game on 90 minutes when Abdul Latif’s right cross was headed over by Mohammad Abdullah before the call for penalties.
Hussain Ali, Mohammad Abdullah, Rashid Abdul Rahman and Esmail Abdul Latif all converted for Muharraq from spot kicks with the exception of Saleh Abdul Humid who blasted their second shot over.
Al Wasl were on course after successful penalties from Juan Olivera, Mariano Donda, Eisa Ali and Darwish Ahmad. But Juan Mercier hit their fourth over.
Tied at 4-4 on penalties, Muharraq won in sudden death after Diego Da Silva found the bottom left of the net for the visitors while Mubarak Hassan’s shot after a wild run-up was saved low to his left by the hero of the day, Abdullah Kaabi.
