Al Zawraa end campaign in style
DOHA: Iraq’s Al Zawraa thrashed Emirati club Al Wasl 5-1 to wrap up their AFC Champions League engagements on Tuesday, a day which saw three matches being played and one postponed.
However, all the matches scheduled for the day were of only academic interest as the two qualifiers from Groups A and B were already decided.
While Iran’s Zobahan and Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr had already secured the two qualifying spots from Group A, the UAE’s Al Wahda and another Saudi side, Al Ittihad, had made the cut for the last 16 stage from Group B.
Tuesday’s match Al Nassr and Zobahan in the Iraqi holy city of Karabala was however postponed by the AFC for security reasons that were not specified, although it is apparent that the ongoing political tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia had much to do with it.
“The AFC took the decision with the support of all parties concerned in the interests of safety. The AFC put the safety and security of all stakeholders at the centre of all decisions,” the Asian football body said on their website.
“The match will now be rescheduled and the new date will be announced as soon as possible.”
Earlier, Ala Abbas was on target for Al Zawraa twice as they bounced back from a goal down to thrash hosts Al Wasl in Dubai.
It was Al Zawraa’s second victory in six matches which took them to third place with eight points, while Al Wasl remained bottom with just three points, courtesy of one win and five defeats.
In Group B, Qatar’s Al Rayyan blew a two-goal lead to crash to a 3-2 defeat against Uzbekistan’s Lokomotiv in Tashkent.
Both teams were already eliminated and playing for pride, but it was the hosts who showed more resolve.
Already qualified Al Ittihad and Al Wahda, meanwhile, drew 1-1 in Jeddah, with the UAE side topping the group with 12 points.