Thrilling Group B Stalemate Reshapes AFC CL2 Dreams for Al-Ahli Qatar and Arkadag

Al-Ahli Qatar vs Arkadag: 1-1 Stalemate in Arkadag

Al-Ahli Qatar drew away at Arkadag Turkmenistan 1-1 at Arkadag City Stadium in the fourth round of Group B matches of the AFC Champions League 2 for the 2025-2026 edition.

In the same round, Khaldiya Bahrain battled to a 0-0 draw with Andijan Uzbekistan at the Sheikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Stadium in Arad, within the same group.

Al-Ahli opened the scoring through Michel Flab in the 23rd minute, but Arkadag hit back to level in the 26th minute when a defender, Matij Metrovic, turned the ball into his own net.

As things stand, Al-Ahli sit top of Group B on 7 points from 5 matches, Khaldiya are second on 6, Andijan third on 4, and Arkadag fourth on 3.

Round 5 will feature Andijan hosting Arkadag in Andijan on November 26, while Al-Ahli defeated Khaldiya 2-1 in the other game of the round.

Earlier rounds saw Al-Ahli and Khaldiya draw 0-0 in the first round, while Arkadag and Andijan also shared the same result. In Round 2 Khaldiya beat Arkadag 2-0 and Andijan and Al-Ahli drew 0-0. In Round 3 Al-Ahli and Arkadag drew 2-2, and Andijan and Khaldiya drew 0-0.

In the match between Al-Ahli and Arkadag, both sides controlled periods of the play with Arkadag showing better organization and initiative in parts of the game.

The hosts took the lead when Jasim Mohammed delivered a cross from the right and Michel Flab finished with a strong shot into the net in the 23rd minute.

Arkadaг quickly responded as Matej Metrovic diverted the ball into his own net in the 26th minute for the equalizer, restoring parity.

Arkadag pushed forward in search of a winner, with several efforts from inside and outside the box, but Marwan Badr al-Din made key saves and the ball went narrowly wide on a few occasions as the game wore on.

The visitors had a few free-kick opportunities but could not convert, and the match ended with both sides sharing the spoils.

Al Khaldiya vs Andijan

The Khaldiya vs Andijan contest was characterized by cautious defense and limited clear-cut chances for either side.

Early on Khaldiya pressed with Claydon OConnell firing from outside the box in the 4th minute, narrowly missing the target.

Andijan responded with a long-range effort from Kristian Nowak and several situations that forced saves from Khaldiya’s goalkeeper.

Repeated substitutions did little to alter the balance and the game remained goalless until the final whistle.

In the closing stages Khaldiya tried to press for a winner, but Andijan held firm and the 0-0 result stood, keeping Group B tightly bunched as the campaign progresses.

In the end, the night left Group B in a state of suspense as the race for qualification intensifies and every point feels like a small trophy.

Humor punchline: If strategy meetings were as effective as football managers’ hair gel, we’d all be living in a world where perfect plans never slip through the net. Punchline 2: Football is the only sport where the scoreline can depend on whether a defender’s own goal accidentally signs the guest list for the congratulations party.