Action during the semi-final between Al Duhail and Khaleej Club.
Doha: Defending champions Khaleej Club of Saudi Arabia yesterday made back-to-back finals of the Asian Men’s Club League Handball Championship when they overcame Al Duhail of Qatar in a thrilling semi-final clash.
The blockbuster semi-final which pitted the multiple-time champions Al Duhail against pre-tournament favourites in front of a full house at Al Duhail Main Hall, ended with a scoreline of 23-21 in favour of the Saudi heavyweights. Al Duhail will now aim for a third place in the tournament.
The encounter was a tightly contested affair from the starting whistle. Al Duhail tried to attack at every opportunity but Khaleej Club’s defensive prowess paid off as the visitors did not allow the hosts to break away so easily. The first half ended with Al Duhail leading by a score of 14-13, reflecting the highly competitive nature of the clash. With the scores level at 18-all and just 15 minutes remaining, the Saudi team revved up their attack. Mansour Al Sihati took the match completely away from Al Duhail, scoring three brilliant goals in the last five minutes – all of which came from penalties – to wrap up the win as hundreds of Khaleej fans burst into celebrations.
Mohamed Ali Mohamed, who also played a crucial role in Khaleej’s win was named the Man of the Match.
The hero of the match for Khaleej Club, goalkeeper Mohamed Abdulhussain was delighted with the win and being able to reach the final.
“Thank Allah for the victory. One step remains. It was a tough match and we knew it would not be easy against a great team like Al Duhail, who are stars in their own right. However, we succeeded, especially in the final moments of the match. One more step to go,” Abdulhussain said.
Kaleej Club will meet UAE’s Sharjah SC in the Doha final tomorrow at 7:00pm after the third place-play-off between Al Duhail and Kazma SC.
Sharjah SC earlier edged out Kazma SC of Kuwait 28-27 in a thrilling semi-final to secure their place in the title clash.
Earlier, Qatar’s Al Rayyan defeated Bahrain’s Al Shabab Club 39-27, earning their spot in the 5-6th place match. Al Rayyan, the most successful team in the Championship’s history – winning five titles - will face Kuwait’s Al Kuwait SC, who secured a 32-27 win over Sanat Mes Kerman of Iran.
The tournament serves as qualifiers for the 18th IHF Handball Club World Championship to be held in Egypt next year.
