Jeddah: Coach Christian Gross credited the impact of his second-half substitutes in helping Al Ahli recover from a goal down to gain victory and a place in the AFC Champions League after Tuesday’s 2-1 comeback victory over Kuwaiti club Qadsia SC.
AFC Cup holders Qadsia SC has taken the lead on 33 minutes courtesy of Bader Al Motawaa’s stunning free-kick but they were pegged back by Omar Al Soma’s penalty within the final 10 minutes, and had earlier lost the services of defender Khaled Al Qahtani who was red carded for conceding the spot-kick.
And in extra-time it was Al Ahli midfielder Mustafa Al Bassas’ who reacted quickest to prod home a loose ball in the penalty area with just five minutes of the additional 30 remaining to ensure the Saudi club took their place in Group D alongside Hazfi Cup winners Tractorsazi Tabriz of Iran, the United Arab Emirates champions Al Ahli and Uzbek club Nasaf Qarshi.
“We were hoping to score early but it wasn't an easy match and we lost concentration after we conceded the goal to Qadsia SC. We played against a strong team as Qadsia SC are one of the best teams in Kuwait and they made it hard for us today,” said Al Ahli coach Gross (pictured), who brought on Ahmed Al Aloufi, Abdullah Al Mutairi and Hussain Al Moqhawi in the second period.
“We made several substitutions which were good for us and eventually we made a good comeback before winning the match in the extra time.
“I want to thank our fans who showed in big numbers tonight and they gave us great support.”
Qadsia SC had edged Jordan's Al Wehdat 1-0 last week in the previous round of play-offs but, much like their 2014 campaign when they were eliminated at the final qualifier for the group stages by El Jaish of Qatar, the climax to the continental play-offs proved again a step too far for the Kuwaiti Premier League champions.
“I would like to congratulate Al Ahli for their win today but at the same time I want to congratulate my players for their great performance as they had a good match until we were one man down,” said Qadsia SC coach Antonio Puche, whose side will enter the AFC Cup and form part of Group C as the look to defend their title.
“I'm proud of my team and I thank the players for what they showed especially against a strong team like Al Ahli. The fans of Al Ahli were great and it was a good match from the two sides.”
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