Al Ahli 3 Al Hilal 2
Ahli win on aggregate, 4-3
Al Ahli Lima 17', Ribeiro 45', Kwon Kyung-won 90'+4
Al Hilal Almeida 51', Eduardo 64'
Man of the match Everton Ribeiro (Al Ahli)
DUBAI // Al Ahli: Asian Champions League finalists. Barely, beautifully, Asian Champions League finalists.
It will no doubt take some time to sink in, scarcely believable that a club contesting the knockout stages for the very first time has made it to the verge of being crowned continental kings, but Ahli’s improbable dream is almost a reality.
Kwon Kyung-won’s injury-time goal did it; outdid Al Hilal. From within touching distance of the showpiece, to down and out, to back again. An incredible match was granted a suitably remarkable finish.
“It’s qualification, but for me it’s a little bit difficult, because against Hilal one eye cries, one eye is happy,” said Cosmin Olaroiu, the Ahli coach who once managed the Saudi Arabians, as he tried to make sense of it all.
“Of course I’m happy mostly for my players; they are heroes for what they have done. Nobody gave them a chance and now they are in the final. I told them just there that they don’t have to stop here.”
They will be forgiven for downing tools for a while, such was the effort applied at a fervent Rashid Stadium on a humid night. A 3-1 aggregate lead appeared and then disappeared, almost in an instant. Hauled level, Ahli inexplicably heaved themselves off the canvas to strike right at the death. The very death.
Everton Ribeiro swung in a hopeful free kick, the ball ricocheted off bodies, dropped to Kwon and the South Korean somehow forced it home, via a deflection. All of a sudden, the President’s Cup culprit became the Champions League conqueror.
The stadium rocked and it reverberated; Ahli, never before beyond the group stages, bounced and bounded through to next month’s final. Their history boys have another chapter to write.
“Sometimes you need a little bit of luck in football and this time it was on our side,” Olaroiu said.
“I think from what happened over the two games we deserved to qualify. And my players deserve the congratulations in the way they play and they fight and they don’t give up. They deserve the best performance in the club’s history in this kind of Champions League competition.”
At one point, their progression seemed all so certain. Rodrigo Lima and Ribeiro scored first-half goals to embellish the 1-1 draw attained in Riyadh three weeks ago, Ahli’s advantage morphing to 3-1 with only 45 minutes to go. A Brazilian double – Lima’s tap-in from Ahmed Khalil’s pinpoint cross and later Ribeiro’s expert lob – had sparked the party.
Then, Hilal fought back with their own twin Brazilian edge: Ailton Almeida’s fine turn and finish six minutes into the second half, Carlos Eduardo’s unstoppable shot from range 13 minutes later.
Unlucky for some.
But, ultimately, fortune favoured Ahli. The clock climbed to 94 minutes, Ribeiro carved the chance, Kwon seized it. The hosts had their winner, the most unlikely of winners. Bedlam after the goal, bedlam after the final whistle.
In the post-match mayhem, Giorgos Donis was asked if he feared for his job as Hilal coach. The Greek, visibly shocked by what had earlier transpired, bit back.
“Maybe, I don’t know,” he said. “We play, like, 30 games and we won 25. We played in the semi-final and we lost in the last minute. I’m very proud of my team because they worked very hard in all of this period. I know it’s hard, but we have a lot of targets, to win every target, and this question, at this time, is very stupid.”
Ahli’s future, though, looks bright. They are Asian Champions League finalists; only the second UAE club to boast such a claim. It was scarcely believable, but beautiful all the same.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
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Bob Marley: One Love
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Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashana Lynch, James Norton
Rating: 2/5
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Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
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Law 41.9.4 of men’s T20I playing conditions
The fielding side shall be ready to start each over within 60 seconds of the previous over being completed.
An electronic clock will be displayed at the ground that counts down seconds from 60 to zero.
The clock is not required or, if already started, can be cancelled if:
• A new batter comes to the wicket between overs.
• An official drinks interval has been called.
• The umpires have approved the on field treatment of an injury to a batter or fielder.
• The time lost is for any circumstances beyond the control of the fielding side.
• The third umpire starts the clock either when the ball has become dead at the end of the previous over, or a review has been completed.
• The team gets two warnings if they are not ready to start overs after the clock reaches zero.
• On the third and any subsequent occasion in an innings, the bowler’s end umpire awards five runs.
Representing UAE overseas
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Seren Gough-Walters (Wales rugby league)
Born in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, and once an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi, she debuted for Wales in rugby league in 2021.
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With an Emirati father and English mother, Shams excelled at rugby at school in Dubai, and went on to represent England on the sevens circuit.
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Made her Test rugby bow for Ireland against England in 2015, having played for four years in the capital with Abu Dhabi Harlequins previously.
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Stars: David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Archie Madekwe, Darren Barnet
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Pros
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- Offers the ability to spread the cost of purchases over time, often interest-free
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Courtesy: Carol Glynn
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Founders: Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Daniel Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
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- High fever
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- Severe headache
- Muscle and joint pains
- Nausea
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- Rash
If symptoms occur, they usually last for two-seven days
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Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
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THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
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He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
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The Coffee Test
A machine is required to enter an average American home and figure out how to make coffee: find the coffee machine, find the coffee, add water, find a mug and brew the coffee by pushing the proper buttons.
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Console: PlayStation 2 to 5
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SPECS
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Quarter-finals
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- Crusaders 17, Highlanders 0
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Semi-finals
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- Lions v Hurricanes, 4.30pm
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Enablers of digital services
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SME recovery
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New categories for 2023
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March 2: Anti-tank guided missiles and missile components seized by HMS Lancaster from a small boat travelling from Iran
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What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
