AFC Champions League Two:
Sepahan’s knockout hopes hanging by a thread after Al Wehdat stalemate
Sepahan is on the verge of an early exit from the AFC Champions League Two following a 1-1 draw against Al Wehdat of Jordan in Group C of the competition.
The stalemate left the Persian Gulf Pro League club in the third place of the group table with seven points – four adrift of the Jordanian side, and three behind second-placed Sharjah FC, which defeated Istiklol 3-1 at home later on Tuesday – with one game to spare in the group stage.
Desperate for maximum points, Sepahan started on the front foot in Doha’s Grand Hamad Stadium – the neutral venue for the Iranian side’s home fixture – with Mahdi Limouchi, Bryan Dabo, Steven Nzonzi being denied by Al Wehdat keeper Abdallah Al Fakhouri.
Al Wehdat was rewarded with a controversial penalty in the 43rd minute, after the referee deemed Nzonzi’s challenge on Mohannad Semreen in the box to be a foul, and Feras Shilbaya sent Payam Niazmand the wrong way from the spot to put his team in front against the run of play.
Nzonzi drew Sepahan level with a towering header on Mohammad Karimi’s corner-kick delivery in 62nd minute, but the Iranian league leader barely found a way through afterwards as the draw secured Al Wehdat’s progress to the round of 16.
Jalal Omidian, a number two to French head coach Patrice Carteron, expressed frustration over Sepahan’s poor finishing, saying: “I’m really upset about what happened. We deserved to win the game. The job is not over. We need to perform at our best in the next game to qualify into the knockout round.”
Sepahan faces a must-win situation against Istiklol in Dushanbe on Tuesday, though its fate still remains out of its hands, as any result other than Al Wehdat’s victory over Sharjah in Amman will see the Iranian league leader crash out of the Asia’s second-tier club competition.
Iranians’ woes continue
Sepahan’s stalemate summed up a frustrating week for the Iranian clubs on the continental stage, coming after Tehran archrivals Persepolis and Esteghlal also failed to win their games in the AFC Champions League Elite on the preceding night.
Farshad Faraji gave Persepolis a well-deserved lead against its host Al Rayyan, only to see his first-half goal canceled out by Achraf Bencharki’s header right before the hour mark as it finished 1-1 at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.
Without a win in five outings in the competition, Persepolis is ninth in the 12-team table of the West Zone with three points, and, with the top eight going through, Juan Carlos Garrido’s men will now be facing an uphill battle to book a knockout place with three games remaining.
The Capital Reds will play Iraq’s Al Shorta in Doha on Monday, with Saudi heavyweights Al Hilal and Al Nassr also coming their way.
Esteghlal, meanwhile, shared the points with Pakhtakor in a goalless encounter in Dubai, though it was still enough to end the Blues’ three-game losing streak following a first-day 3-0 win against Al Gharafa.
“A little bit disappointed because we didn’t get the full points,” said Esteghlal head coach Pitso Mosimane, whose team is seventh in the table with four points – thanks to a superior goal difference over Al Gharafa.
“I feel this game was in our hands, especially in the second half, but we did not take the chances. I can never say I’m not happy with my team. They gave a good fight but the fight was a little bit late. We should have shown this fight a little bit earlier and put more pressure on Pakhtakor. Still, I’m very proud of my team.” added the South African.
Next for Esteghlal is a vital visit to Al Ahli Saudi, which tops the standings with a perfect run, before the Blues square off against Al Shorta and Al Rayyan.
“In Jeddah (against Al Ahli Saudi), we’re going to need the biggest fight. If we can bring that fight, maybe we can get something but it’s going to be difficult, this one was the one we should have won.”