In a dramatic night at Sharjah City Stadium, Sharjah FC of the UAE bid farewell to the AFC Champions League for the 2025-2026 season, after suffering a tough and surprising 1-2 defeat to their Uzbekistani visitors, Nasaf, in the eighth and final round of the West Zone league.
Details of the confrontation and the scenario of the match
The match saw a strong start from the home side, as Al Sharqawi, nicknamed "The King," attempted to impose their early dominance to secure qualification. The first real chance came through professional player Matheus Saldanha, whose shot from outside the penalty area went just over the crossbar. This was followed by a dangerous header from Caio Lucas that went wide of the post, signaling the imminent arrival of the Emirati goal.
Contrary to the flow of the game, the Uzbek team managed to absorb the enthusiasm of the home team, and from an organized counter-attack in the 30th minute, Zafarmurd Abdurrahmatov sent a perfect cross that Bobir Abdukhalikov rose to brilliantly to put into the net, announcing the lead of the visitors and complicating the task for Sharjah.
In the second half, Sharjah threw everything into attack, with numerous attempts through Luanzinho and Caio Lucas. Then, in the 80th minute, the Emirati fans were given hope when the referee awarded a penalty, which Caio Lucas converted successfully to equalize. While Sharjah searched for a decisive winning goal, Nasaf stunned everyone with a second goal in the 87th minute. Diurbek Abdinazarov capitalized on a brilliant through ball from Sardorbek Bahromov, effectively ending Sharjah's hopes.
Group accounts and the bitter exit
This result cast a dark shadow over the two teams' journey in the continental championship; Sharjah's tally froze at 8 points, suffering its fourth loss that officially knocked it out of the tournament, in a scenario that fans of the team, who had hoped to go far in this newly established edition, did not expect.
In contrast, Nasaf achieved its first and only victory in the group, raising its tally to 4 points. It was an honorable victory that did not qualify it, so both teams left the tournament together through the narrow door.
The context of the tournament and the impact of the result
This match is part of the new format of the AFC Champions League, which features fierce competition among clubs from the western part of the continent. Sharjah's elimination is a significant blow to Emirati football's ambitions of competing for the continental title this season, especially given the club's substantial investments and signings.
Domestically, this elimination is expected to cast a shadow over the team's performance in domestic competitions, as the coaching staff and players will have to shift their focus entirely to competing for the league title to compensate the fans for this continental setback. This result also highlights the development of Uzbek football and the ability of its clubs to trouble the big teams, even in away matches, confirming the high level of competition in this new edition of the tournament.
