Sharjah seal Asian Champions League group berth via penalties

HONG KONG : Sharjah FC from the United Arab Emirates needed a penalty shootout to book their place in the group phase of this year's Asian Champions League on Tuesday as Cosmin Olaroiu's side eliminated Al Zawraa from Iraq.

Adel Al Hosani saved Ahmad Hasan's effort to earn a 6-5 win on penalties to take Sharjah through after Khalid Bawazir's 89th-minute spotkick had earlier cancelled out Saad Abdul Ameer's opener for the Iraqis to take the game into extra time.

The win moves Sharjah into the group stage, where they will meet defending champions Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan's Istiklol and Al Rayyan from Qatar.

Saudi Arabia's Al Taawon also needed penalties to advance after a 1-1 draw with Al Jaish, with Medran scoring the decisive effort to seal a 5-4 victory having seen Ahmad Al Salih miss the first for the Syrians.

Al Taawon will take on Qatar's Al Duhail, Iranian club Sepahan and Pakhtakor from Uzbekistan in the next phase, when the western half of the competition kicks off on April 7.

Nasaf Qarshi from Uzbekistan completed the group stage line-up for this year's continental championship with a 2-0 win over Baniyas of the UAE through goals from Sherzod Nasrullayev and Husain Norchayev.

They advance to the group stage to take on former champions Al Sadd from Qatar, Jordanian side Al Wehdat and Saudi Arabia's Al Faisaly.

All five groups in the west of Asia are being played in biosecure centralised hubs in cities across Saudi Arabia, with the winners and the three best runners-up advancing to the knockout rounds.

(Reporting by Michael Church in Hong Kong, Editing by Christian Radnedge)