Nourollahi at the double as Al Wahda secures ACL Elite spot
Al Wahda skipper Ahmad Nourollahi scored twice to lead his team to a 3-1 away victory over Al Bataeh on the final day of the UAE ADNOC Pro League.
The vital victory helped Al Wahda finish third in the Emirati top-flight table with 48 points – two clear of fourth-placed Al Wasl – and join top-two Shabab Al Ahli and Sharjah in securing a place in the league stage of the West region in next season’s AFC Champions League Elite.
The Iranian midfielder opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a stunning strike from the edge of the penalty area, before Syrian striker Omar Khribin doubled the lead from the spot midway through the first half.
Al Bataeh managed to pull one back just four minutes later through Brazilian forward Álvaro de Oliveira, but Nourollahi restored the two-goal cushion from close range in the 43rd minute.
Sunday’s performance rounded off an impressive campaign for the Iranian midfielder, who bagged six goals and assists in 26 league appearances.
Al Bataeh, meanwhile, finished the season in the 11th place of the 14-team table with 27 points – 11 clear the relegation zone. This could still be considered a decent outcome for Iranian head coach Farhad Majidi, whose team was in serious danger of relegation when he took charge in mid-January.