Shehata’s lucky strike lifts Al Rayyan to first AFC Champions League win over Pakhtakor

TASHKENT: Al Rayyan claimed their first victory of the AFC Champions League Elite campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor at the JAR Stadium in Tashkent. A fortunate strike from distance by defender Hazem Shehata in the 51st minute proved decisive, as his miss-hit attempt unexpectedly beat Pakhtakor goalkeeper Vladimir Nazarov, sealing a much-needed win for the Qatari side.

This victory moves Al Rayyan off the bottom of the standings and gives them their first points of the tournament. Coach Younes Ali expressed renewed optimism for the team’s qualification chances, emphasizing the significance of the win in bolstering their hopes for the knockout rounds. “The competition has truly begun for us now. This is a crucial victory that has revived our hopes. Every single point will count in the race for the knockout stage,” he stated.

Pakhtakor, who have yet to secure a win in this year’s campaign, remain on two points from four games and have slipped out of the top eight spots needed to advance. The Uzbek side now faces an uphill battle to revive their prospects in the competition.

Shehata, thrilled to score the winning goal, highlighted the importance of the team’s effort, saying, “I’m happy to score the winning goal, but the most important thing is Al Rayyan have won the match. We’ve climbed to seventh in the standings and now we’ll aim to improve our position in the next game.”

With newfound momentum, Al Rayyan will now look to build on this performance and push for further wins as they target a place in the next stage of the competition.(Gulf Times)