JEDDAH, 26 January 2003 — Jeddah club Al-Ahli began their second phase campaign of the Arab League Soccer Tournament for Prince Faisal Cup with a 2-1 victory over Al-Ahli of Bahrain, joining Al-Afriqi of Tunisia as the winners of the first matches in the group.
Earlier Afriqi had defeated Al-Fasi of Morocco in an one-sided game, 4-1, to top the group in the early stages.
Adel Al-Silimi gave Afriqi a fine start with a sixth minute strike, and Wodeya Prince added the second by converting a 15th minute penalty award. The Tunisians dominated the proceedings and were content to mount attacks at their own pace against a Moroccan side that was seemingly lost.
Afriqi that added their third when a rocketing pile-driver from just outside the box from Jamal Rahuma whizzed past the goalkeeper and was redirected into the goal by the crosspiece.
Afriqi continued in the same vein in the second half, and slotted in the fourth in the 61st minute when Al-Silimi converged on a defense-splitting center, gave his shadows the slip before effecting a shot into an untenanted net.
Fasi’s lone joy came in the 64th minute, when Mustafa Al-Alawi capitalized on the easing up of Afriqi midfield to pull one back. Though the teams effected sporadic raids in the remaining period, the scoreline did not change.
In the second match, Al-Ahli of Jeddah, however, found Ahli of Bahrain a tough customer indeed and managed to salvage full points with a last-gasp injury-time strike from Waleed Al-Jezani with seconds away from the final whistle.
A scramble in front of the Bahraini outfit goal saw a loose ball traveling toward Jezani, who pounced on the chance gleefully. He zipped near the goal, cutting past two defenders, to have a one-on-one with the Bahraini goalkeeper. He feinted to send the goalkeeper the other way before effecting a neat shot to the left.
But prior to this last-minute drama, the teams were engaged in a protracted midfield struggle with the other two goals coming in the first half. The Saudi side went ahead in the 31st minute through Bushaib Limbarki. The Moroccan player’s free kick cleared the wall an just eluded the diving Bahraini goalkeeper.
But the Bahrain side came up trumps, following a brief period of ascendancy, just before the break when Ahmad Al-Hijaily headed the ball home with the Saudi club’s defense well advanced.
The second session saw action galore, but it needed the last-minute Jezani heroics to seal the Saudi side’s triumph.
