Shabab Al Ahli cry foul over Asian Champions League semifinal defeat
RIYADH: UAE side Shabab Al Ahli on Wednesday formally requested that their Asian Champions League semifinal against Japanese club Machida Zelvia be replayed, claiming that their late equalizer should have stood. The Emirati side were beaten 1-0 in Jeddah on Tuesday but a club source told AFP that the referee made a technical error in disallowing a 93rd-minute equalizer. Machida Zelvia took the lead through Yuki Soma in the 12th minute and Shabab Al Ahli believed their Brazilian winger Guilherme Bala had levelled the scores as the seconds clock ticked toward the final whistle. But Australian referee Shaun Evans disallowed the goal after consulting the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), which ruled that the Emirati side had taken the throw-in that led to the goal before the Japanese team had completed a substitution. The Shabab Al Ahli source, who asked not to be named, told AFP: “An official objection was submitted by the club before the team left the stadium. “The objection includes a request to replay the match, and therefore it was decided to keep the team in Jeddah until a decision is made on our request.” The appeal will have to be considered rapidly because Machida Zelvia will face defending champions Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia in the final on Saturday. The UAE Football Association has pledged its support for Shabab Al Ahli “in any step it takes to safeguard its rights” and called on the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to “select appropriate referee teams for the competitions it organizes.” Furious Shabab Al Ahli players protested to the referee at the end of the match, and goalkeeper Hamad Al Maqbali received a red card. Al Maqbali said: “The referee wanted us to be eliminated, and he succeeded in doing so.” Shabab Al