EDI edge past Al Bahri in thrilling NAS final

dubai — The 6th Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament came to a fitting close on Wednesday night with Emirates Driving Institute (EDI) defeating Al Bahri on penalties in the final of the NAS Futsal Championship.

EDI and Al Bahri put up a spectacular show with the latter scoring an equaliser in the final seconds of extra time — the hero being their goalkeeper Mayed Ali Al Maeeni — to force the final into penalties where EDI prevailed 3-2.

Emirates Driving, of course, will consider themselves deserving champions for they were in the driving seat for most of the game. They made a blazing start, taking a 3-0 lead in the first 16 minutes with goals from Williams Oliver Do Nascimento, Sabry Jamil and Abdulkarim Jamil.

Al Bahri, however, fought back to level the scores before the end of the first half, thanks to goals from Essam Alla Shamkh, Hamad Al Shamsi and Helal Al Jaberi.

A stunning goal by Sabry Jamil put EDI back in the lead in the 25th minute, but Mohammed Abdessamad

made it 4-4 in the 32nd minute and, despite frantic efforts in the tense closing minutes, there was no addition to the score-line in regulation time.

In extra time, EDI once again took an early lead, through Do Nascimento in the 2nd minute, and looked to be cruising towards victory until Al Maeeni stunned their fans into silence with the equaliser in the final second of 10 minutes of extra time. Emirates Driving, however, were not to be denied in the ensuing penalties and their emotions flowed freely as they received the winner’s trophy.