JEDDAH, 3 June 2005 — Al-Shabab denied Al-Ahli what would have been a big victory when they saved a 1-1 draw yesterday in the King Fahd Cup soccer tournament at the Prince Faisal ibn Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.
Needing to get six points in their last three games including yesterday’s, Ahli came tantalizingly close to achieving half of the target with a one-goal lead for nearly the entire run of the contest.
But as fate would have it, Shabab showed why they are the top team in the league by producing a magical play that equalized matters three minutes from the long whistle.
Abdu Atif found Hassan Mouad unmarked just above the top of the box and fed him a beautiful cross from the right side. Mouad rose up and headed the ball in past the flailing arms of Ahli goalkeeper Mansour Najaieh.
That 87th minute equalizer dampened the hopes of Ahli who only have themselves to blame for falling into a defensive lapse.
Ahli went ahead after a goalless first half in the 65th minute when Brazilian international Flavio ran past his defenders after collecting a pass from the right side to score from inside the box.
The draw left Shabab with a front-running tally of 44 points and Ahli with 33 points, still two behind Al-Nasr. Ahli now face daunting task of having to win their last two games to have any chance of dislodging Nasr in fourth place.
In all probability, Shabab will finish top and the waiting team in the final four with Al-Hilal in second and Al-Ittihad in third position.
