Rodrigo Tabata (left) of Qatar’s Al Sadd celebrates his goal against Iran’s Foolad Mobarakeh Sepahan with teammate Abdulkarim Hassan during their AFC Championship League match in Doha, yesterday.
Doha: Qatar Stars League (QSL) teams had mixed sucess in yesterday matches of the AFC Cahmpions League while Al Sadd won, Lekhwiya were not so lucky.
In Group D, 2011 champions Al Sadd dominated Iran’s Sepahan for a 3-1 victory here.
Former Asian Player of the Year Khalfan Ibrahim put the hosts ahead in the 18th minute but Mehdi Sharifi equalised for Sepahan in the 78th.
However, a Nadir Belhadj strike off an Ibrahim pass saw Al Sadd nose ahead in the 83rd minute and Brazilian pro Rodrigo Tabata put the issue beyond doubt for the defending Qatar Stars League champions with an injury-time effort. Meanwhile, former QSL champions Lekhwiya however crashed to a 2-1 defeat against Al Ain with Diaky Ibrahim and Asamoah Gyan finding the target on either side of the break. Vladimir Weiss scored the only goal for Lekhwiya in the Group C match. In the anotehr match, two goals from Nasser Al Shamrani helped Saudi Arabian giants Al Hilal grab a point in Riyadh. Al Ahli looked like snatching three away points in their Group D tie when Luis Antonio Jiminez and Grafite put the UAE side 2-0 ahead by the 58th minute. But the hosts rallied through Al Shamrani who struck in the 60th and 74th minutes to clinch a thrilling draw. AGENCIES
