JEDDAH, 11 December 2003 — Al-Ahli of Jeddah staged a stirring fightback to share goals and honors with Al-Hilal of Riyadh in a 1-1 drawn encounter of the Arab Champions League at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, writes Mahmoud Ahmad.
With Hilal setting the pace in the first half of the proceedings, it was only a matter of time before Ahli conceded a goal. And the lone strike for Hilal came in the 16th minute of the match through Bandar Al-Mutairi, who struck a sweet shot from a set piece to leave the Ahli goalkeeper rooted.
Ahli, 0-1 down at the break, were a rejuvenated side in the second session and with the crowd cheering them on they struck a lively pace in their attacks. But they had to wait till the 81st minute for the equalizer. A centered ball spliced the Hilal defense and Saud Khyberi was at hand to rocket the ball into the Hilal goal.
