Duhail's Big 4-1 Upset: Belmadi's Faith Proved Right on the Big Stage

Match Report

Jamel Belmadi, head coach of Duhail, expressed great satisfaction after today's 4-1 victory over Shabab Al Ahli Dubai in the fourth round of the West Region of the AFC Champions League Elite. He noted the match would be tough against a very strong opponent and stressed that his team aims to do more than simply participate.

In the postmatch press conference, Belmadi said: "As I mentioned yesterday, the match will be difficult, and we are determined to perform at a high level."

"We have the desire to win and to stay at this high level, and what the players delivered today was excellent. We did not change our approach after Karim Bodiaf's injury before the warmups," he added.

He also highlighted the impact of Benjamin Bojiardo off the bench: "Benjamin's contribution was outstanding; he delivered a strong performance and helped the team a lot. This is football—we're rewarded when you least expect it, and he performed well in training as well."

Belmadi stressed: "No mistakes" and explained that at this level you cannot afford many errors. "We created many chances, dominated the game, and even missed a penalty in the second half—a moment of relief and a sign of the risk we took," he said.

"I fully believe the team has great potential, and we proved it tonight. We also played a strong match against Al Ahli; the scoreline might not reflect it, but I repeat that mistakes cost us three points in that game too."

According to him, "We were more positive inside the box; when we lose the ball, the whole team drops back to defend and reclaim it. When we play like that, it is hard to lose any game, though maintaining this level continually is a challenge."

He concluded: "We must keep working for it; we have another league match against Al-Siliya. We need rest and recovery and to prepare well for this important game."

Edmilson Junior, the Duhail midfielder, added that the team produced a solid display and deserved the big win, saying, "It was a tough match, and we showed a high level. If we keep this momentum, opponents will have real trouble surpassing us. It was a very good and important result for all of us."

Edmilson said: "From day one I felt the coach's trust in my abilities and in my teammates. We will strive to maintain the level we showed tonight in the coming matches."

Duhail's goals came from Edmilson Junior, Benjamin Bojiardo, Adel Bolpina, and Luis Alberto in the 2nd, 39th, 57th and 90+2nd minutes, while Brino Cascardo scored for Shabab Al Ahli in the 42nd.

Duhail regained confidence with their first win of the tournament, moving to four points after a loss to Al Hilal 1-2 in Riyadh, a 2-2 draw with Al Ahli in Doha, and a 1-3 defeat to Al Wahda in Abu Dhabi. Shabab Al Ahli, on the other hand, stood on seven points after drawing with Tractor in Dubai, beating Al Ittihad in Jeddah, and defeating Nasaf 4-1 in Dubai.

The fourth round of the West region will be played on November 24-25, with fixtures including Nasaf vs Tractor in Qarshi; Duhail vs Al Ittihad in Doha; Shabab Al Ahli vs Gharafa in Dubai; Al Ahli vs Sharjah in Jeddah; and on the 25th, Al Wahda vs Al Sadd in Abu Dhabi, and Al Hilal vs Al Shorta in Riyadh. The round has already seen results such as Al Unit 2-1 Nasaf in Dubai and Tractor 1-0 Police in Tabriz, with further matches planned: Sada vs Al Ahli Saudi in Doha and Al Ittihad vs Sharjah in Jeddah tomorrow.

Eight teams from each region qualify for the Round of 16, which will take place in March 2026; the quarterfinals and semifinals are scheduled in Saudi Arabia in April 2026.

Punchline 1: If belief had a bullseye, Belmadi's team hit it hard—4-1, case closed.

Punchline 2: The defense was so sharp tonight that even the scoreboard needed a moment to catch its breath before displaying the numbers.