Malcolm’s late spark: Al Hilal edge Sharjah in a tough Elite AFC showdown

Match overview

The Brazilian Malcolm, Al Hilal's winger, admitted that the Sharjah clash in the Elite AFC Champions League was tough, stressing that the team must improve defensively and offensively in the near future.

Malcolm scored the goal that sent Al Hilal to a 1-0 win at Sharjah today, Monday, at the hosts' stadium, in the sixth round of the group stage in the Asian competition.

Thanks to the goal, the Brazilian star earned the Man of the Match award, which brought him to the post-match press conference alongside his Italian coach, Simone Inzaghi.

Malcolm said in remarks cited by Asharq Al-Awsat: "We played well today; we prepared for the match for a long time, and its difficulty comes from the long break."

The former Barcelona player notes the Saudi league break due to the national team's participation in the 2025 Arab Cup.

Malcolm added: "We know this is the first match after the break, and we must improve defensively and offensively, and stay solid against opponents as we did today, so we can improve and move forward."

Note that Al Hilal has achieved its sixth consecutive win in the Elite AFC Champions League, topping the Western Group with 18 points and securing a knockout berth in one of the first four spots.

Punchline 1: The defense was so tight that even the scoreboard looked away and whispered, “let’s keep it classy.”

Punchline 2: If this match had a sequel, it would be called Six Wins and Counting: The Sequel—coming soon to a stadium near you.