Qatar’s al-Sadd shocked South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 4-2 on penalties in a thrilling AFC Champions League final yesterday after they were deadlocked at 2-2 following extra-time.
Former Portsmouth leftback Nadir Belhadj fired the winner into the roof of the Jeonbuk net, sparking delirium among the al-Sadd players and breaking the hearts of the near-capacity crowd at the 43,000-seat Jeonju World Cup Stadium.
The home side had clawed their way back into the game with an injury-time equalizer, forcing extra-time, but Kim Dong-chan and Park Won-jae both fluffed their spot-kicks amid high drama in the South Korean city.
Photo: Reuters
Jeonbuk, chasing a second Champions League win after lifting the trophy in 2006, came close several times in a nerve-shredding 30 minutes of extra-time, but were repeatedly denied by the underdog visitors.
The victory brought an exhilarating end to a turbulent competition for al-Sadd, who were involved in an ugly mass brawl during their semi-final against South Korea’s Suwon Samsung Bluewings.
Abdul Kader Keita, who was one of the players sent off over the semi-final punch-up, looked to have secured a second continental title for al-Sadd with a second-half strike until Lee Sung-hyun’s headed equalizer in stoppage-time.
Photo: Reuters
Earlier, imperious Brazilian Eninho had put Jeonbuk ahead with a deliciously curled free-kick on 17 minutes, but an own goal by Sim Woo-yeon leveled the scores before Keita’s speared shot gave the visitors the lead.
Al-Sadd goalkeeper Mohamed Saqr saved two penalties, as Jeonbuk stumbled at the last after a free-scoring campaign.
It was a messy but enthralling game, played in front of a raucous crowd, and vindicates al-Sadd coach Jorge Fossati’s pre-match warning that his unfancied side deserved to be in the final.
Despite a barrage of jeers, al-Sadd started brightly with strikers Mamadou Niang and Keita — both back from suspensions after the fight — impressive early on and linking with the excellent Belhadj, who terrorized Jeonbuk’s right side.
And when Eninho scored, the expected Jeonbuk goal glut failed to materialize and al-Sadd equalized near the half-hour mark when a seemingly innocuous Keita cross squirted off Sim’s head and in.
The visitors then shocked the visitors as they took the lead with a sucker-punch counterattack.
Jeonbuk surged back, hitting the post from a corner and winning a series of free-kicks in and around the box, before finally being rewarded with Lee’s goal.
However, despite the presence of ex-Premier League striker Lee Dong-gook, Jeonbuk could not find a way through again and paid the price in the gripping penalty shoot-out.
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