JEDDAH, 10 April 2003 — Al-Hilal of Riyadh inscribed their name on the Crown Prince Abdullah Cup yesterday with a solitary goal verdict against Al-Ahli in a keen final at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh.
Riyadh Governor Prince Salman presented the trophy and the medals.
Playing attacking soccer throughout the event, Hilal sustained the aggressive display against a more defensive Ahli and that in the end proved decisive.
Ahli were also hampered by the loss of Hussain Abdul Ghani following a shoulder injury in the 40th minute of the match. Till then the teams were more on even terms with the fortunes and the ball swinging from end-to-end.
Hilal had to wait till the 35th minute of the second half to snatch the all-important goal. From a set piece Al-Jaman floated the ball goalward, and the Ahli keeper failed to hold on to the ball, and Muhammad Al-Shalhoub was at hand to hit home the rebound.
Hilal have won the cup for the third time, but have met Ahli in the final for the first time.
Real Beat United 3-1
After Raul Double
Agencies add: Luis Figo curled in a spectacular opener and Raul struck two virtuoso goals to lead Real Madrid to a 3-1 victory over Manchester United in Tuesday’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg at the Bernabeu.
The reigning European champions dominated the match throughout and will be strong favorites to book a semifinal place against Juventus or Barcelona but they may yet have cause to regret a 52nd minute reply from Ruud van Nistelrooy.
United’s Dutch striker headed in from close range for a record 11th Champions League goal of the season that gave the English side a lifeline to take back to Old Trafford in two weeks’ time.
Van Nistelrooy’s goal came just as Real were threatening to hand them a defeat of humiliating proportions.
Figo had given them the lead in the 12th minute by curling a shot high past Fabien Barthez and Raul made it 2-0 after 28 minutes as he took a pass from Zinedine Zidane, turned past Rio Ferdinand and drilled in a low shot.
Real looked to have a place in the semis already booked when Raul fired in his 43rd Champions League goal from the edge of the area four minutes into the second half but Van Nistelrooy’s header three minutes later was just enough to give United a glimmer of hope.
Stalemate for Ajax
and AC Milan
In Amsterdam, Ajax and AC Milan, nine European Cups between them, had to settle for a 0-0 draw in Tuesday’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg match.
Two of the most famous names in world club football canceled each other out as they clashed head on at the Dutch side’s space-age ArenA venue fit for continental kings — but neither side was able to find their attacking verve in a game short on goalscoring chances.
The Dutch side’s coach Ronald Koeman was hellbent on sending packing a Milanese outfit which swamped his old Barcelona side in the 1994 final. The following year, Ajax captured the trophy themselves but since then both clubs have struggled in the slipstream of Real Madrid, Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
Replay Win Keeps Auxerre
in European Race
In Paris, two goals from Zimbabwean striker Benjani gave AJ Auxerre a 3-1 win over Sedan in a game that was ordered to be replayed from five months ago — a game that ended with the same result.
The Burgundy team dominated the game throughout and opened the scoring after 32 minutes when French international midfielder Olivier Kapo set up Benjani for en easy goal.
Sedan, who are second from bottom, fought hard after the break and leveled through Pius N’Diefi on the hour but Benjani once again darted into the penalty area and slipped the ball between the Sedan goalkeeper’s legs.
Djibril Cisse, who started the game on the bench, scored the third four minutes into injury time. The original fixture on Sept. 21 was ordered to be replayed by the French Federation and the French Olympic committee after a refereeing error.
The incident at the center of the controversy came when Sedan, who had been losing 1-0 at Auxerre, scored a 75th minute equalizer.
The referee allowed Auxerre to kick off while two Sedan players were still in the home side’s half of the pitch. Auxerre made it 2-1 immediately and went on to win 3-1. Sedan lodged a protest, which was upheld by the French Federation’s refereeing commission. Appeals by Auxerre were dismissed after several weeks of pleading.
Jubilo End Barren Run
With 4-0 Cup Win
In Tokyo, Japanese champions Jubilo Iwata demolished Tokyo Verdy 4-0 in the J-League Nabisco Cup yesterday, lifting the gloom after a poor run of results.
Midfielder Ryoichi Maeda struck twice to give Jubilo their first win in a month and put them top of Group A on six points from three matches.
Meanwhile, troubled Urawa Reds won for the first time since October, sealing a 2-1 victory at Vissel Kobe courtesy of a 54th-minute effort from striker Tatsuya Tanaka.
