AFC Champions round 5 grips Middle East

By Khalil Hareb in Amman
For Al-Shorfa.com
2010-04-17

[BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images] Esteghlal's Mehdi Seyed Salehi heads the ball during an AFC Champions League match against Ahli.

Excitement is building in AFC Champions League competition, as just a few slots remain for the one-off knockout matches on May 11th and 12th.

In round 5 action on Tuesday (April 13th), UAE Ain lost to host PFC Pakhtakor Tashkent 3-2 in Uzbekistan. Ain started well, scoring their first goal just two minutes into the match. Ain then surrendered two goals within 12 minutes. Ain came back to score their second during the 19th minute, but Tashkent star Odil Ahmedov put his team ahead to stay in the 23rd minute. In the second half, Ain pushed forward and attacked, but missed a chance to tie when the referee gave them a penalty kick. The match with a 3-2 win for Tashkent.

Iranian outfit Sepahan defeated Saudi Shabab 1-0 in Iran. UAE Ahli secured a win in the competition, beating Iran's Mes Kerman 2-1. Sadd, the Qatari outfit, stole an important point by earning a draw against hosts Saudi Hilal.

On Wednesday, Iran's Esteghlal Tehran secured a 2-1 victory over Saudi giant Ahli. The match was very fast and aggressive, and seven yellow cards were shown throughout the game. On another pitch alter on Wednesday, UAE Wehda gained three points by defeating the visiting Iranian side Zobahan 1-0.

Qatar's Garrafa pleased the home fans by clawing past UAE Jazira 4-2. Klemerson De Araugo, the Brazilian star, scored three goals for The Cheetahs to assure the victory. The last match of Round 5 saw the Saudi outfit Ittihad host FC Bunyodkor, Uzbekistan's powerhouse. The Saudi outfit scored first thanks to midfielder Mohamed Nour, who scored on a penalty kick. The second half brought a new atmosphere to the match as Bunyodkor managed to come back with an equaliser by Anvarjon Soliev. As the match dragged on, both teams looked to score the winning goal. But the final whistle brought the match to a draw. Ittihad's home fans were left with a disappointing end.

Matches in round six, the final qualifying round, will be held on April 27th and 28th.

In Jordan football action, Wihdat regained its national league lead by winning the Clasico against the Boss, as Faisaly fans like to call their team. Wihdat moved up with the 1-0 win on Monday. Both teams were very careful throughout the match, which was mostly played at midfield. Ahmad Abd Ahleem secured the victory for Wihdat, scoring the match's only goal five minutes into the second half. This goal sent the Green Giant fans on fire. Faisaly pushed harder in the last quarter but failed to score any goals. Wihdat now leads the league with 52 points. Faisaly is in second place with 50 points followed by Shabab Ordon with 41.

Kuwait basketball

The Kuwaiti Federation Basketball Cup 2010 semifinals are under way. In Group A, Qadsia crushed Kuwait SC 93-72 on Wednesday. Sahel defeated Shabab 84-55 and joined Qadsia in the semifinals. In Group B, Arabi secured an easy win over Salmiyah, 80-59. Kazma secured a 92-90 victory. The semifinals will be held April 18th. Qadsia faces Arabi and Kazma will take on Sahel.

Saudi Handball

The semifinals for the Saudi Prince Sultan Handball Cup 2010 are set. On Sunday (April 11th), Noor made the cut by overcoming Qadasiya 35-19. The next day, Wehda grabbed a semifinal spot by defeating Shabab 31-22. Later the same day, Khaleej secured a place after a last second win. Khaleej faced strong side Ahli, and both teams played an even match, but Khaleej won 24-23. The last semifinal spot went to Mothr, who also had a tough opponent, Safa but managed to secure the victory 33-31. The semifinals will take place on April 22nd, and the finals will be held on May 13th.

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