Abu Dhabi, UAE – The Shabab Al-Ahli delegation in Jeddah is awaiting the Asian Football Confederation’s decision regarding the protest submitted following the match against Machida Zelvia in the AFC Champions League Elite semi-final, which saw a crucial goal cancelled in stoppage time.
The disciplinary committee had listened to the referees’ committee’s opinion before making its decision on the protest. This came amidst ongoing controversy surrounding the validity of the decision to disallow the goal, which directly affected the outcome of the match.
The decision, either accepting or rejecting the protest, is expected to be issued this evening. Shabab Al-Ahli insists on a replay of the match, which ended in a 1-0 defeat for them. Machida has qualified for the final to face Al-Ahli Saudi next Saturday.
On the other hand, Al-Ahli’s youth team continues its preparations as normal at the training grounds in King Abdullah Sports City Stadium (The Jewel), awaiting the committee’s decisions.
Abdul Majeed Hussein, the club’s vice president of football, had previously stated that the administration would resort to escalation if the protest was rejected.
In this case, the club is expected to file a new appeal within the Asian Football Confederation before resorting to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) if the decision continues to be against its interests.
