JEDDAH, 19 January 2003 — Jeddah outfit Al-Ahli came into their own in the second session to steamroller Al-Hussein of Jordan 4-0 in their opening encounter of the Arab League Soccer Tournament for Prince Faisal Cup here yesterday.
Ahli, who were held goalless in the first half, now need a draw or a win to advance to the next phase of the event.
Earlier, Al-Fasi from Morocco too came away with full points following a 3-0 win over Al-Ahli from Bahrain. A brace by Omar Hassi (48th, 57th) and another by Rashid Borsi in injury time rounded off the tally.
Ahli and Hussein played out a cat-and-mouse first ten minutes as the teams tried to find their feet. Ahli right wing Muhammad Sheleya, whose ninth minute crisp center went abegging, and midfielder Muhammad Barakat stood out in this period. Barakat, shackled by the robust Al-Hussein play, broke free in the 23rd minute in a beautiful solo run. Barakat release the ball, as he ran into a wall of defenders, to Sheleya, who in turn crossed the ball back into the box. Al-Zahrani rose above the harried Hussein defense to redirect the ball goalward. But the ball traveled out of the touchline inches past the far upright. Though Ahli sustained the pressure throughout the half, they, however, had to settle for a blank period and a share of honors with the Jordanian team.
But Al-Ahli were a different lot after the break as they went ahead in the 63rd minute. But the tone was set in the very first minute after the break when Saleh Al-Muhammady and Waleed Al-Jezani’s one-two had the Jordan club’s defense scrambling.
But the goal, long in coming, finally came. Ahli’s Talal Al-Meshal was hacked down in the penalty area while moving dangerously, and defender Khaled Badra, the Tunisian international, stepped up to convert the resultant penalty with panache.
This finally opened the floodgates as Ahli notched up their second in the 73rd minute with a gem of a goal from Waleed Al-Jezani, who connected on a center with a reverse scissors kick, that unerringly bulged the net. Three minutes later, Hussain Abdul Ghani’s dipping floater was nodded home by Talal Al-Meshal and in the 89th minute, Waleed Al-Jezani completed Al-Hussein’s rout with yet another header, meeting a Saad Al-Dosary’s cross for a clinical finish.
