No Excuses, Just Goals: Shabab Al-Ahli Hosts Al-Gharafa in the AFC Elite Showdown
23 November 2025
Preview and stakes
Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai host Al-Gharafa at Rashid Stadium in Dubai on Monday evening as Round 5 of the West Zone in the AFC Elite Championship gets underway.
Al-Ahli endured a surprise 1-4 defeat to Al-Duhail last round, curbing a promising start that left them on seven points through four rounds.
Nevertheless, the Emirati side can lean on a positive head-to-head against Al-Gharafa, having avoided defeat in their two most recent meetings. A victory would restore confidence and keep their hopes alive to finish the group stage in the top eight and reach the Round of 16.
Coaches and expectations
Head coach Paulo Sousa said the team is returning to a different competition within their continental campaign, but will take each match as it comes.
He described the AFC Champions League Elite as a tough contest that brings together top clubs and players, noting that Al-Gharafa is a well organized side under an experienced coach who has steered them to domestic success.
Sousa added that this is a rare opportunity for everyone to compete at this level, and they must be more prepared to win, keep creating chances and convert them into goals.
Asked about injuries and squad depth, he replied that they must rely on the players available and ready for every match.
He concluded that he coaches with passion, does not seek excuses, and always looks for solutions because challenges are opportunities to progress.
Federico Cartabia of Shabab Al-Ahli stressed that the match is in a different and important competition and that the opponents deserve respect. It will be played at their home ground in front of their fans, and they will fight to claim the three points.
Cartabia also reflected on missed chances in prior games, arguing that that is part of football and that daily work with the coaching staff aims to improve finishing and the creation of chances to collect points.
As for Al-Gharafa, their domestic form has been strong but they have not yet translated it to the continental stage. Their only three points so far came from a 2-0 win over Police of Iraq, leaving them with a challenging away record after five losses in their last six continental matches.
In the remaining West Zone fixtures of Round 5, Nasaf Qarshi meet Tractor in Qarshi, Al-Duhail host Al-Ittihad in Doha, and Al Ahli Saudi face Sharjah in Jeddah. The matches continue to shape the standings as December unfolds.
In the standings, Al-Hilal sit top the West with 12 points, followed by Al Ahli and Al Wahda on 10, Tractor on 8, Shabab Al-Ahli on 7, Al-Ittihad on 6, Al-Duhail and Sharjah on 4, Al-Gharafa on 3, Al-Sadd on 2, Al-Police on 1, and Nasaf still without points.
The Round 6 schedule runs on December 22-23, with a varied slate including Sharjah vs Hilal, Tractor vs Duhail in different venues, Al-Gharafa vs Al Wahda, Police vs Al Ahli Saudi in Baghdad; on December 23 Al-Sadd vs Shabab Al-Ahli in Doha and Al-Ittihad vs Nasaf in Jeddah.
Shabab Al-Ahli started Round 5 with a 1-1 draw against Tractor in Dubai, then beat Al-Ittihad 1-0 in Jeddah and Nasaf 4-1 in Dubai, before a 1-4 defeat to Al-Duhail in Doha. Al-Gharafa meanwhile lost 3-4 to Sharjah in Sharjah, beat Police 2-0 in Al-Rayyan, and then fell to Al-Ahli 0-4 in Jeddah and to Al-Hilal 1-2 in Al-Rayyan.
Each team plays eight matches in the group stage, with the top eight advancing to the Round of 16 in March 2026; the quarterfinals, semifinals and final will be held in a centralized format in Saudi Arabia in April/May.
Punchline 1: If this season had a sniper, the goal nets would still be shaking from the aftershocks of the celebrations. Punchline 2: Our defense is so precise, it could win a stand-up routine by making the goalkeeper disappear for a clean sheet.
