Late Equalizer Keeps West Asia Drama Alive: Duhail and Al-Ahli Draw 2-2 in AFC Elite West

Matchweek 2: Duhail and Al-Ahli Share the Spoils

In Doha, the Duhail club of Qatar and Al-Ahli Saudi FC produced a 2-2 draw at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, closing the second round of the AFC Champions League Elite West group stage.

Edmilson and Kristof Piatek put Duhail ahead in the 25th and 48th minutes, while Matheus and Riyad Mahrez answered for Al-Ahli in the 42nd and 45+1 minutes. Al-Ahli climbed to four points after a 4-2 win over Nasaf in the first round, while Duhail collected their first point after a 1-2 defeat to Al Hilal in round one.

Elsewhere in the West, Al Hilal beat Nasaf 3-2, Tractor and Al Wahda played to a 0-0 draw, and Al Gharafa defeated Al Shorta 2-0. On Tuesday, Sadd hosted Sharjah in Doha and Al Ittihad faced Shabab Al Ahli UAE in Jeddah.

The table shows Hilal on six points, with Al Ahli, Al Wahda and Al Gharafa on four, Sharjah on three, Tractor on two, and Duhail, Al Sadd, Shabab Al Ahli and Al Shorta on one point each. Al Ittihad and Nasaf remained on zero.

The third round is scheduled for 20-21 October, with fixtures including Al Wahda vs Duhail in Abu Dhabi; Al Shorta vs Al Ittihad in Baghdad; Sharjah vs Tractor in Sharjah; Al Ahli vs Al Gharafa in Jeddah; and on 21 Oct Shabab Al Ahli vs Nasaf in Dubai and Hilal vs Al Sadd in Riyadh.

Starting lineups saw Duhail field Arthur Desmas in goal, with Sultan Al Barak, Youssef Ayman, Bassam Al-Rawi and Jan Castilierto in defense; in midfield Marco Verratti, Edmilson Junior, Luis Alberto, Benjamin Borrego and Adel Bolpina; and Kristof Piatek leading the attack. Al Ahli responded with Edward Mendy in goal, Roger Ibanez, Mohammad Suleiman Bakr, Ali Moghrashi and Matheus Dams in defense; Valentin Atangana Idou, Riyad Mahrez, Matheus Goncalves, Frank Cisse and Firas Al Breikan in midfield; and Enzo Milot up front.

Early in the game, Desmas denied Milot from a dangerous early chance, and both teams traded quick, intense sequences without breaking the deadlock. A swift Duhail counter in the 25th minute found Adel Bolbina, who fired across goal to Edmilson, who buried it for a 1-0 lead.

Duhail were forced into a substitution when Desmas picked up an injury and Bautista Berk came on in the 37th minute. Al Ahli leveled through Matheus in the 42nd minute, and Mahrez added a stoppage-time strike to give the visitors a 2-1 lead at the break. The second half saw Piatek notch the equalizer in the 48th, making it 2-2 as the clock ticked on, with both sides pushing for a late winner.

The intensity stayed high, with Piatek hitting the crossbar in the 58th minute and a late save from the Duhail goalkeeper denying Al Ahli a winner. The match finished level, and Al Ahli extended an impressive continental run to 20 matches unbeaten, while Duhail collected their first point of the campaign.

In the wider context, the standings stay tight as the group heads into the next rounds, with the top eight advancing to the Round of 16 in March 2026 and the later knockout stages staged in Saudi Arabia in April.

Punchline time: If suspense had a price tag, tonight’s game would be a two-episode arc on a streaming service—two acts, one cliffhanger, and no commercial break. And remember: a draw is just love sharing the snacks; the scoreboard decided to split the pizza evenly.