Al Ain: The UAE President’s Cup final on Wednesday evening always promised to be a gruelling affair due to the fact that it was played in temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius.
But for Al Ahli, who had dominated a turgid encounter at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, the searing heat was the least of the woes after Kwon Kyung-won’s disastrous own goal a minute from time condemned them to extra-time — and then a 3-0 penalty shoot-out defeat to Al Nasr.
Al Ahli had led through Ahmad Khalil’s close-range header nine minutes before the break, but were made to pay for their second-half listlessness when Kwon catastrophically volleyed Ahmad Ebrahim’s cross into his own net to make it 1-1.
Al Nasr went on to claim their fourth President’s Cup and first since 1989 by comfortably winning the resultant penalty shoot-out as their shell-shocked opponents failed the ultimate test of nerve.
The final, which was attended by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was a clash between two sides who have found solace in cup competitions after underwhelming Arabian Gulf League campaigns.
Al Nasr finished fifth, but won this season’s Arabian Gulf Cup to add to last year’s Gulf Club Champions Cup, which ended their 12-year silverware drought.
Al Ahli, meanwhile, had an even more uninspiring league season, the 2014 AGL champions finishing seventh this year but compensating for this disappointment by reaching their third consecutive President’s Cup final as they targeted a record ninth win in the competition.
Following the eye-catching sight of a drone dropping the match ball on the centre-circle ahead of kick-off, there was little to rouse either set of colourful supporters.
Al Ahli, watched by their former Brazilian striker Grafite from the stands, were dominant without being electrifying, relying on set-pieces rather than intricate build-up play.
Kwon’s impressive long throw-in created the first chance of note for the Red Knights, Ahmad Khalil leaping prodigiously to power a header over the crossbar.
The muscular Khalil’s aerial ability was always likely to provide Cosmin Olaroiu’s side’s best weapon in such energy-sapping weather and nine minutes before the break, the UAE striker outjumped the Al Nasr goalkeeper Ahmad Shabieh to nod in the opener from Everton Ribeiro’s right-wing corner.
It was Khalil’s fifth goal in his past five matches and just reward for Al Ahli’s superiority, with Al Nasr unable to muster anything in response in a dismal opening 45 minutes.
Al Ahli were content to soak up the little challenge the Blue Wave could offer in attack and rely on occasional set-pieces, Habib Fardan flashing a header wide from Luis Jimenez’s corner after 67 minutes.
Five minutes later, Al Nasr had their first shot on goal when Pablo Hernandez wriggled clear of the Al Ahli defence and Majid Nasser tipped his low drive past the post.
Al Ahli’s desire to sit on their narrow lead proved costly two minutes before full-time, however, when Kwon endured his moment of madness.
With five minutes’ injury time being played, Brett Holman’s fired in a low drive that Nasser spilled, but luckily nobody was on hand to net the rebound and the game entered extra time.
The drama of a penalty shoot-out always enlivens the most dour of games, yet there was little tension on this occasion as Al Nasr confidently dispatched all three of their spot-kicks while Al Ahli missed theirs.
A nervous-looking Ossama Assaidi’s effort was saved at the second attempt by Shabieh, Luis Jimenez hammered his penalty against the crossbar and Abdul Aziz Sanqour fired wide.
In contrast, Al Nasr’s penalties were confident and assured with Pablo Hernandez, Renan Garcia and Ebrahima Toure converting to spark delirium among the Blue Wave supporters.
