| Al Faisaly lift AFC Cup 2005
27 October 2005
Beirut', LEBANON - A scintillating brace by Khaled Al Maaltaah helped Jordan’s Al Faisaly lift the 2005 AFC Cup after defeating Al Nejmeh of Lebanon 4-2 on aggregate following a 3-2 win in the second away leg here on Wednesday at the Beirut Municipal Stadium.
Al Faisaly, gunning for their first ever continental title, went into the return leg of the All West affair with a slim one-goal advantage, also courtesy Al Maaltaah, and the defender proved to be unstoppable yesterday during his lightning upfront forays. He struck in either side of halftime while midfielder Moussa Hajjaj matched him with a brace in both halves for Al Nejmeh. The other goal for Branko Semilantic’s team was scored by captain Hassouna Al Sheikh.
Both the teams were reduced to 10 men as early as the 24th minute after Haitham Al Shboul of Al Faisaly and Al Nejmeh's Hussein Dokmak were sent off by Saudi referee Khalil Ibrahim Al Ghamdi for dangerous play in the 24th minute.
Before this, however, Al Shboul threaded through a beautiful pass to Al Maaltaah on 19 minutes and the latter made no mistake thumping it past substitute goalkeeper Abdu Tafeh who came in after regular custodian Wahid El Fattal was injured. The pressure piled up on Al Nejmeh, who are coached by Tunisian Omar Mezian, but a rough tackle on striker Ali Nassereddine inside the area five minutes past the half hour mark earned them a penalty which was duly slotted by Moussa Hajjaj. Both the teams trooped out for the breather 1-1.
Al Maaltaah grabbed his double on 59 minutes after soaring high to connect with an inch-perfect cross from Al Sheikh with Al Nejmeh’s defence at sixes and sevens. The home team made amends on 72 minutes after Nassereddine sent through Hajjaj whose fierce left-footed shot beat goalkeeper Loai Elmarieh hands down.
Pumped up by the goal, Al Nejmeh poured forward for the goal which would have restored overall parity but this proved to be their undoing as a surprise counterattack two minutes from time caught them flatfooted. Al Sheikh saw the defence lines stretched and managed to dance past with the ball before lobbing it over Tafeh and firmly settling the issue.
The trophy will reside in the West for the second consecutive year after Syrian outfit Al Jaish won it in 2004.
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Source : Asian Football Confederation, AFC
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