Home comforts had been hard to find during Al Ain’s befuddling, torturous march to the 2016 AFC Champions League semi-finals.
A strange campaign which began with a Group D-defeat to El Jaish – who they are meeting again in the last-four – at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium continued in the knockout stages, with salvage jobs on the road required to get them past Iran’s Zob Ahan and Uzbekistan’s Lokomotiv Tashkent.
At last, the 2003 winners can travel to Doha on October 18 without too much trepidation. Blessed relief has been provided by a stellar first-half showing from resident superstar Omar Abdulrahman, who provided a glorious assist for Douglas and equally-resplendent free-kick, before reckless visiting goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar spectacularly erred in injury-time to help summer buy Caio make it 3-1.
“We have just finished the first half and everything is open for the second half in Doha,” said Al Ain coach Zlatko Dalic.
“It is a semi-final, you cannot expect that the other teams will do nothing. Jaish have a very strong team, but hamdullah we scored a third goal – it is a good result for us.
“I have to be happy with my players. Inshallah, in one month when we play the second game we will be more ready.”
Prior to the Qatar’s international’s glaring mistake, a second-half slowdown had put the tie back in the balance versus dangerous opponents who had beaten the Boss twice in the pools and profited from Brazil-born Wanderley’s “forged or falsified” Indonesian passport to contentiously edge past Al Nasr in the quarters.
Forward Sardor Rashidov’s confidently-dispatched penalty was just reward on 51 minutes. But there is now plenty to do on home soil for the club – only founded in 2007 – to make their debut in Asia’s showpiece club game.
The crestfallen expression on visiting coach Sabri Lamouchi’s face told it all about a job almost well done.
“We are not happy tonight because with a different result it was more logical,” he said.
“But I cannot complain about my team, maybe just that in the 21st minute they started to play. The second half was amazing from my players – I saw heart, quality, determination.”
“It will be really difficult now to score two goals. We need some days to take a rest and analyse this game, especially the first 20 minutes.”
Both sides started at speed in this engrossing first leg.
The hosts then picked up the pace as they try to repeat bitter rivals Al Ahi’s run to last year’s final. Both goals came within a rapier five-minute spell, lit up by the brilliance of ‘Amoory’.
His driving run and deep cross teed up Douglas to expertly nod in on 16 minutes. The roar from the Hazza crowd marked a turnaround for a striker who had started 2016/17 appallingly, prior to last Thursday’s hat-trick in the 5-2 thrashing of Emirates Club in the Arabian Gulf League.
Caio was then felled dead centre, 20 yards from goal. With the anticipation levels rising, Omar Abdulrahman scooped a delightful effort past the giant Ababacar for his opening effort of the season.
“Al Ain have, for me, absolutely the best player in Asia,” said Lamouchi, who knows when he is in the presence of elite talent after a playing career with Internazionale and France. “He made the difference tonight.
“He is an unbelievable player. I love him a lot, not only me.
“All coaches want a player like him. Because he fights with heart, he is a very nice playmaker with an amazing left foot.”
Despite losing two quickfire goals, Jaish are made of stern stuff. The Qatar Crown Prince Cup holders are diminished by the long-term injury suffered by Morocco marksman Abderrazak Hamdallah, who scored during both prior meetings.
But in dreadlocked Brazilian forward Romarinho and Uzbekistan flyer Rashidov, they boast lethal weapons. The former rattled the crossbar deep into first-half injury time with a 30-yard set-piece, before the latter struck back soon after the break.
Lamouchi – who bellowed constantly from the touchline and kicked every ball – punched the air in satisfaction as Rashidov converted from 12 yards after Ismail Ahmed’s handball on the slide from his shot.
Momentum then swung wildly between the combatants, only for Abubacar to sink his team-mates. His wild rush for the ball only contrived to make him fall over, allowing Caio carte blanche to lash the Boss to within touching distance of a first final appearance in 11 years.
