Al-Sadd played out a 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan’s Nasaf in the sixth and final round of Group B in the 2023-24 AFC Champions League. The match took place at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on Monday evening.
The game kicked off with a strong and rapid start from Al-Sadd. In the 6th minute, Matheus Uribe secured the lead for Al-Sadd with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, finding the bottom right corner of Nasaf’s goal.
Al-Sadd maintained a balanced approach between defense and offense after taking the lead. The attacking play varied between deep and wide areas, showcasing tactical diversity. In the 25th minute, Akram Afif delivered a long ball to Baghdad Bounedjah, but Nasaf’s defense managed to clear it.
As the second half began, Al-Sadd intensified their pressure to score the second goal. In the 50th minute, Akram Afif provided a cross from the left, but Bounedjah failed to capitalize on it. The team made its first substitution in the 65th minute, with Yousuf Abdurisag replacing the injured Tarek Salman.
In the 68th minute, Hassan Al-Haydos delivered a cross from the right, and Bounedjah met it with a header, that was kept out by Nasaf’s goalkeeper.
Nasaf then managed to score two goals through substitute Jaba Jighauri in the 83rd and 90th minutes, turning the game in their favour.
However, Al-Sadd came back to equalise through Bounedjah in injury time. The referee had signalled for 11 minutes of additional time but despite the best efforts of Al-Sadd players, the match ended in a stalemate. The result meant that the Wolves finished second in Group B with a tally of 8 points from six games.
