Al Sadd’s André Ayew (left) in action with FC Nasaf’s Umar Eshmurodov yesterday.
FC Nasaf produced their best display of the AFC Champions League 2022 Group E, dispatching Al Sadd 3-1 and consigning the 2011 winners to a second consecutive group stage exit at the Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, yesterday.
An Akmal Mozgovoy brace, coupled with Husain Norchayev’s goal saw Nasaf take a three-goal lead by the 77th minute, with Rodridgo Tabata scoring a consolation for Qatar’s Al Sadd in added time.
The win pushed Uzbekistan’s Nasaf up the standings with eight points to their name, while dashing Al Sadd’s hopes of a top two finish in Group E.
Al Sadd head coach Javi Gracia was disappointed with his side’s early exit from the tournament, having going into the continental showpiece after dominating in the Qatar Stars League.
“We lost our chances after the defeat by Nasaf. We had hoped to continue the competition with a positive result today, but we could not achieve that,” the Spaniard said yesterday
“We played well in the first half but in the second half we made mistakes, which contributed to the goals. It is very difficult to find something positive in this match for us. We aspired for the best, but this is football, and we congratulate the Nasaf team for winning,” Gracia added.
Nasaf’s hopes of progression will hinge on their ability to get a result against Al Wehdat on the final matchday, while Al Sadd bow out against group hosts Al Faisaly on Wednesday.
