JEDDAH, 26 May 2007 — Welcome to the Al-Ahli Sports Club show. From football to water polo and handball the Jeddah-based club continue to collect championships in bunches.
Yesterday, Ahli’s handball team beat Wehda 23-18 in the final of the Prince Sultan ibn Fahd Cup at the Saudi Youth Welfare Stadium here. The victory brings to three the number of major titles Ahli won this season following the team’s successes in the Prince Faisal ibn Fahd Cup and the Gulf Championship.
A day earlier Ahli water polo team added the Al-Nokhbah Championship to the Saudi Super Water Polo League crown by beating archrival Al-Ittihad 11-5 for a sweep of the best-of-three title series.
It was also against Ittihad that Ahli football squad won the Prince Faisal ibn Fahd Cup final and Crown Prince Cup final.
In a fitting farewell match for star goalkeeper Manaf Yousif, who decided to retire, Ahli had the game under control after Wehda of Makkah managed to tie at 3-3 in the first half.
Team captain Bandar Al-Harbi and Yousif were very pleased with the team’s performance and thanked fans for their support in winning a third title this season, “just like the previous season,” said Yousif.
“Thank God. It was a great game and both teams have performed very well and we all enjoyed it, and hopefully this success continues,” Al-Harbi told the media after the match.
From a 3-3 deadlock the goals kept coming Ahli’s way. The first half ended 12-9 for Ahli. Wehda came back in the second half to threaten at 12-10, 13-12 and 15-14. But Player of the Game Hussain Al-Ekhwan and Walid Al-Jouhar combined in a 3-0 tear that eased the pressure on Ahli 18-14. Al-Harbi, who also scored in the first half, and the veteran Faisal Al-Falati contributed in the homestretch for Ahli. With their domestic season over, Al-Harbi will be playing as import for Al-Wakrah of Qatar in that country’s King’s Cup and Al-Falati for Al-Qadisiya of Kuwait in the Handball World Cup.
