Defending champions Al Ahli Saudi FC survived a gruelling extra-time battle at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah on Monday night, advancing to the AFC Champions League Elite quarterfinals with a 1-0 victory over Qatar’s Al Duhail. The decisive moment came just three minutes before the match was due to go to a penalty shootout, when Riyad Mahrez curled home a stunning left-footed free kick in the 117th minute to send the Jeddah faithful into raptures.
Mahrez Finds the Moment When It Mattered Most
The Algerian winger had endured a frustrating evening alongside his Al Ahli teammates, who struggled to unlock a disciplined Al Duhail side throughout ninety minutes and into extra time. The Qatari goalkeeper Salah Zakaria had been exceptional, denying Ivan Toney from the penalty spot deep in the first half of extra time — a save that threatened to take the tie to a shootout and the drama to a new level entirely.
But Mahrez, one of the most technically gifted players in Asian club football today, refused to allow the evening to slip away. From a free kick position outside the penalty area, he shaped the ball with his left foot, bending it beyond Zakaria’s reach and into the corner of the net. The stadium erupted. Al Ahli were through.
Mahrez Issues a Challenge to His Teammates
Speaking after the final whistle, Mahrez was candid about the performance while looking firmly ahead to the quarterfinals. “It was a difficult game, I don’t think we played very well,” the Algerian said. “That’s why we went to extra time. They’re a good team, Al Duhail, but at the end we made it on a free kick and we’re happy to go through.” He subsequently challenged his teammates to raise their performance levels as the defending champions prepare to go deeper into the tournament.
Al Ahli’s path to the quarterfinals came on a historic night for Saudi football at the King Abdullah Sports City, which also hosted the parallel tie between Al Hilal and Al Sadd of Qatar. In a match that went the distance across ninety enthralling minutes and ended 3-3, Roberto Mancini’s Al Sadd prevailed 4-2 on penalties, eliminating four-time winners Al Hilal in dramatic fashion — with Karim Benzema missing in the shootout.
Saudi Arabia at the Centre of Asian Club Football
The AFC Champions League Elite Finals are scheduled to take place in Jeddah, placing Saudi Arabia at the very heart of the most prestigious club competition in Asia. Al Ahli’s presence in the last eight cements the Kingdom’s standing on the continental stage, and supporters at the King Abdullah Sports City witnessed a night that confirmed why this tournament draws the attention of football fans across the region. The quarterfinal draw awaits, and Al Ahli’s appetite — fuelled by Mahrez’s late brilliance — is very much intact.
