Al Ahli edge outAl Nasr to enter final

Dubai: Al Ahli snatched a dramatic 3-2 penalty shoot-out win yesterday over a fighting Al Nasr to book their place in today's final against Ajman Club in the inaugural UAE Beach Soccer League at the Al Mamzar Park beach.

Tied 4-4 at the end of the regulation three periods of 12 minutes each and the extra-time of three minutes, Al Ahli — with four professional players in their side — got their match-winner from the fourth kick of the shoot-out when Portuguese Rui Coimbra blasted in past reserve goalkeeper Farouk Al Shambieh.

Much was expected from this semi-final given the equality in the two teams, and more so after Al Ahli had struggled to beat the same opponents 3-1 earlier in the competition. And there was no lack of action as Kambhar Mohammad Ali scored early in the first period to give Al Ahli the lead.

But the nippy Ali Hassan Karim found the net on successive occasions to give Al Nasr an unlikely 2-1 lead by the end of the opening 12 minutes.

Swiss skipper Stephan Maeir equalised with a flying overhead kick to make it 2-2 and Madjer got the first of the evening with a low header past Al Nasr goalkeeper Humaid Shambieh tive Al Ahli the lead for the first time. However, Ahmad Faisal snatched a dramatic last-gasp equaliser on the buzzer to make it 3-3.

The third and final period was evenly contested and it was national team striker Adel Al Rahi who proved his pedigree for Al Nasr as he caught Al Ahli goalkeeper Abbas Mousa Ali by surprise with a snap strike and make it 4-3 with just eight minutes left on the clock.

But the Al Ahli experience came through with Portuguese striker Madjer squeezing in an equaliser with 3.33 minutes left.