In the presence of Qaidi.. Shabab Al-Ahly defeats Al-Nasr and approaches the semi-finals of the League

Iranian star Mehdi Qaidi appeared for the second time this season in the Al-Nasr jersey after a long absence due to injury, but his return was not enough to avoid his team losing to Shabab Al-Ahly with a score of 2-1 in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Professional League Cup (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Cup), in a match that witnessed great excitement, especially in the first quarter-hour.

Despite Qaidi’s participation and movements that gave Al-Nasr additional offensive solutions, the team faced difficulties in stopping Shabab Al-Ahly’s runs, which were more dangerous and effective, which made the match tilt in favor of the hosts during its first half.

The match started strong, as Shabab Al-Ahly took the lead in the 12th minute through Matthews Lima, who took advantage of a defensive error, dribbled past the goalkeeper and put the ball into the net.

Only two minutes later, Al-Nasr quickly returned through Abdullah Touré, who skillfully scored the equalizer after a clear one-on-one, bringing the match back to zero in the 14th minute.

But Lima came back to steal the show again by scoring the second goal for Shabab Al-Ahly in the 24th minute after an organized attack and a cross pass from Bala to put an easy ball into the goal, announcing his team’s lead for the second time.

In the second half, Al-Nasr tried to come back through the movements of Kevin Agudelo and Toure, in addition to Qaidi’s search for a goal, but goalkeeper Hassan Hamza shone on more than one occasion and saved Shabab Al-Ahly from dangerous chances.

The match also witnessed the return of Luca to the Al-Nasr squad after a long absence, while Qaidi’s participation was an important indicator of the player’s gradual return to his level, despite the loss.

With this result, Al-Nasr enters the return match at Al Maktoum Stadium on the 29th of this month and is required to win to compensate for the loss of the first leg, while Shabab Al-Ahly puts one foot forward in the semi-finals.