Al Ain are the champion club of Asia. Thirteen years after the national team did the UAE proud with their qualification for the World Cup, Salem Jawhar lifted the AFC Champions League Trophy to mark a historic day for the game and the country.
Incidentally, Jawhar, one of the seniormost players in the Al Ain squad was playing for the 13th year in succession.
Though Al Ain came up second best in yesterday's second leg of this brand new edition of Asian Club competition, they fully deserved the victory.
In a hard-fought final, the UAE club went down 1-0 by a 61st minute penalty to BEC Tero Sasana of Thailand at the Rajamangalam National Stadium here yesterday.
However, their 2-0 lead which they had established in Al Ain in the first leg was enough to carry them to title and the $500,000 first prize.
Lt. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces and Al Ain Club President; Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Information and Culture, and Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan along with other dignitaries attended yesterday's match.
But before Jawhar and Sheikh Mohammed together lifted the trophy, Al Ain went through an agonising final 30 minutes when BEC Tero began firing on all cylinders.
Having been neutralised in the first session, BEC Tero put everything into the attack in the second. Goalkeeper Waleed Salem, who saved a sure goal in the first session when his foot kept out a Sakchai Yuntasri strike, came to his team's rescue with some excellent work under the bar.
Fahad Ali, Kadjou Afanou, Abdullah Ali and Humaid Fakher did well to thwart many a BEC move, particular in the second session, but the penalty earned 16 minutes into the second half transformed the BEC side.
Humaid Fakher was beaten by a classy solo run by Datsakorn Thonglao and the Al Ain defender brought him down just inside the box. Kuwaiti referee Mane Saad Kameel pointed to the spot and Therdak Chaiman booted the ball home with a low, firm effort.
Metsu brought in Majidi for Faisal Ali and midway through the session, introduced Ali Ahmed.
While Majidi could not do much, running into offside poistions often, Ali Ahmed played an effective role in stringing together a few counterattacks.
In fact his very first touch of the ball almost brought Al Ain a goal, but like Subait Khater early in the game, Ali also found his shot coming back off the post. After Therdsak's goal, the large crown was solidly behind the Thai team, who attacked with full force.
During one such move, Preratat Phorundee headed into the goal and the stadium roared but the referee had already blown for a foul and the goal was disallowed.
Bangkok |By M. Satyanarayan, Staff Reporter | 12-10-2003
i would like to congratgulate Al Ain team for this wonderful victory,
and i heard that Al Ain will be playing against AC Milan, i think its a match between the Asian and European Champions, does anyone know when is that?
Incidentally, Jawhar, one of the seniormost players in the Al Ain squad was playing for the 13th year in succession.
Though Al Ain came up second best in yesterday's second leg of this brand new edition of Asian Club competition, they fully deserved the victory.
In a hard-fought final, the UAE club went down 1-0 by a 61st minute penalty to BEC Tero Sasana of Thailand at the Rajamangalam National Stadium here yesterday.
However, their 2-0 lead which they had established in Al Ain in the first leg was enough to carry them to title and the $500,000 first prize.
Lt. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces and Al Ain Club President; Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Information and Culture, and Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan along with other dignitaries attended yesterday's match.
But before Jawhar and Sheikh Mohammed together lifted the trophy, Al Ain went through an agonising final 30 minutes when BEC Tero began firing on all cylinders.
Having been neutralised in the first session, BEC Tero put everything into the attack in the second. Goalkeeper Waleed Salem, who saved a sure goal in the first session when his foot kept out a Sakchai Yuntasri strike, came to his team's rescue with some excellent work under the bar.
Fahad Ali, Kadjou Afanou, Abdullah Ali and Humaid Fakher did well to thwart many a BEC move, particular in the second session, but the penalty earned 16 minutes into the second half transformed the BEC side.
Humaid Fakher was beaten by a classy solo run by Datsakorn Thonglao and the Al Ain defender brought him down just inside the box. Kuwaiti referee Mane Saad Kameel pointed to the spot and Therdak Chaiman booted the ball home with a low, firm effort.
Metsu brought in Majidi for Faisal Ali and midway through the session, introduced Ali Ahmed.
While Majidi could not do much, running into offside poistions often, Ali Ahmed played an effective role in stringing together a few counterattacks.
In fact his very first touch of the ball almost brought Al Ain a goal, but like Subait Khater early in the game, Ali also found his shot coming back off the post. After Therdsak's goal, the large crown was solidly behind the Thai team, who attacked with full force.
During one such move, Preratat Phorundee headed into the goal and the stadium roared but the referee had already blown for a foul and the goal was disallowed.
Bangkok |By M. Satyanarayan, Staff Reporter | 12-10-2003
i would like to congratgulate Al Ain team for this wonderful victory,
and i heard that Al Ain will be playing against AC Milan, i think its a match between the Asian and European Champions, does anyone know when is that?
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