Dammam: FC Nasaf beat Al Sadd 3-1 on Saturday in a Group E match that saw the 2011 winners suffer their second consecutive group stage exit at the AFC Champions League 2022.
Double strike by Akmal Mozgovoy, 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 started on the front foot and could have taken the lead inside 40 seconds when Santi Cazorla’s cross from the left was sent back across the face of goal by captain Hassan Al Haydos for Andre Ayew who took it on the turn from six yards out, but goalkeeper Abdvokhid Nematov produced a fine save to hold on to the ball.
Nasaf responded with their first attempt on goal a minute later as Oybek Bozorov advanced from the left and cut back for Marko Stojevic who took it first-time but was denied by a flying Meshal Barsham save.
(Source: AFC Media)