JEDDAH: Al-Ahli exited the 2018 AFC Champions League on Monday after a 2-2 draw with Al-Sadd in their second leg in Jeddah gave the Qatari team a 4-3 aggregate win in this round of 16 clash.
It was a fighting performance from the Saudi Arabian team, down 2-1 from the first leg in Doha a week earlier, who recovered from conceding an early goal to push Al-Sadd all the way in an open and exciting game.
Two goals from tournament top scorer Baghdad Bounedjah made the difference. The first came after just three minutes as, just as in the first leg, Al-Ahli fell conceded early.
Bounedjah was freed on the left and given too much space to cut inside to enter the penalty area and fire a right-footed shot past the despairing dive of Mohammed Al-Owais.
Within five minutes however, the hosts drew level on the night with a simple free-kick. The Al Sadd defence failed to deal with Saleh Al-Amri’s floated ball into the area from the right side and there was Claudemir at the far post to head home from close range.
At the 20-minute mark, Al Ahli almost scored from a similar position. Al-Amri sent another cross from the right to the far post but this time, Salman Muwashar headed high and wide from a closer range and a tighter angle. Soon after, Claudemir was shooting over from the edge of the area as Al-Ahli started to pile on the pressure.
Yet just past the half-hour it was Al-Sadd who should have scored. A delightful pass from former Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez found Akram Afif free inside the area but Al-Owais came out quickly to block the shot with his legs. Moments later, Morteza Pouraliganji shot just wide from a free-kick.
Six minutes before the break, Al Ahli were back on level terms for the first time in the tie since the opening minutes of the first leg. This time, the delivery came in from the left and Mansour Al-Harbi’s inswinging cross was met by Aseri, who got the better of Abdelkarim Hassan and bundled home from close range to tie the overall score at 3-3.
Both teams continued to attack after the restart with the first chance falling to Xavi whose low shot was well-saved by Al-Owais. The goalkeeper was helpless just before the hour as Bounedjah’s overhead kick from close range rattled the crossbar as Al Sadd threatened to take control.
Shortly after however, Aseri missed an open goal that would have put Al-Ahli ahead. Abdulafttah Asiri sent over a perfect low cross from the left that eluded everyone except the Saudi striker who somehow shot over from inside the six-yard box.
The turning point came with 20 minutes remaining. Claudemir brought down Hamid Ismaeil in the area and while Al-Owais saved Bounedjah’s initial shot, the Algerian followed up to send Al Sadd into the last eight and end Saudi Arabian participation in the 2018 AFC Champions League.
Fighting performance from Al-Ahli not enough as Saudi club exit AFC Champions League
Fighting performance from Al-Ahli not enough as Saudi club exit AFC Champions League
Inaugural Kidzink Pearl Cup wraps up at Dubai Offshore Club
- Sailors aged 8-18 competed in the Optimist Coached, Optimist, ILCA 4, 29er and RS Feva classes
DUBAI: The inaugural Kidzink Pearl Cup wrapped up in Dubai after welcoming more than 100 youth sailors from 17 countries for one of the Middle East’s first international open youth sailing regattas.
Held from Dec. 15-21 at Dubai Offshore Sailing Club with the support of Dubai Sports Council, the Kidzink Pearl Cup brought together sailors aged 8-18 to compete in the Optimist Coached, Optimist, ILCA 4, 29er and RS Feva classes.
Backed by global educational design company Kidzink as title sponsor and strategic partner, the event combined four days of competitive racing with ideal windy conditions, with three days of Olympic-level coaching delivered by an international coaching team, giving young sailors the chance to train and race in competitive and challenging conditions alongside peers from different countries and sailing cultures.
The young sailors also took part in interactive onshore sessions developed with Kidzink’s research team, with the event putting the focus on leadership, inclusivity and clean-water awareness.
Charlotte Borghesi, founder and general manager of Kidzink, said: “The energy throughout the week was incredible. You could see learning happening in real time, friendships forming on the dock and young sailors growing in confidence every day.
The Kidzink Pearl Cup is about more than racing, it’s about creating an environment where young people feel inspired, supported and excited to learn.”
A two-time world champion sailor herself, Borghesi brings first-hand experience to the event, having made history in 2023 as the first female helmswoman to win the SB20 World Championship, followed by her team’s victory at the SB20 Women’s World Sailing Championship in Singapore in 2025.
Alongside the racing program, sailors took part in Kidzink’s interactive learning sessions. The UAE sessions built on work first piloted at the Kidzink-supported 29er Class European and World Championships earlier this year.
Local talent featured strongly throughout the week, with members of the DOSC racing squad lining up alongside international competitors. Among them were 14-year-old Chloe Montanet and 12-year-old Edward West.
In the Optimist Coached fleet, first place was claimed by Lev Ryashin (RUS), followed by Matteo Bertucci (ITA) in second and Gonzalo Montero (ESP) in third.
In the Optimist class Jean-Luc Herve (UAE) topped the podium, followed by Xuan Ya Tong (KSA) in second, and Miquel Rossello-Collinge (ESP) rounding out the podium.
The ILCA 4 title went to Fynley Britton (GBR), with Indraneel Roy (IND), and Katyayani Kaushik (IND) completing the podium.
In the 29er fleet, Dominic West and Fynley Britton took top honours, followed by Lily Britton and Matteo Gardenghi in second place with Noah Fisk and Alex Simmonds third.
The RS Feva Coached podium consisted of Ameya Rahul Nair and Arya Khanna in first, Miles Wilson-Brown and Noah Kahlon second, and Finlay Henderson and Rayan Abdallah third.
“Our work in sailing reflects our broader mission to design and create educational environments and experiences where young people thrive,” Borghesi added. “The Kidzink Pearl Cup is just the beginning of much more to come.”
