Bader Al-Mutawa celebrates with his teammates after scoring the winning goal for Al-Qadsiya.

MANAMA, Nov 28: Montenegrin coach Zeljko Petrovic praised Al-Qadsiya captain Bader Al-Mutawa for his outstanding performance and crucial equalizing goal in their match against Bahrain's Al-Riffa. The game, held in Manama, ended in a 2-2 draw during the third round of Group Two in the Gulf Champions League.

Al-Mutawa's goal in the first minute of stoppage time secured Al-Qadsiya their second point in the group, placing them third behind Al-Riffa (4 points) and leaders Al-Ettifaq (9 points). Qatar's Al-Arabi remains fourth with one point.

Petrovic expressed admiration for the 40-year-old Al-Mutawa, saying, “I am unlucky to have coached Al-Qadsiya at this stage of Al-Mutawa’s career. He’s indispensable, and I greatly value his efforts since my arrival. Despite joining the team late, we hope he will lead us to compete for titles this season.”

Reflecting on the match, Petrovic added, "We were unlucky against Al-Riffa. We took the lead but conceded two goals due to mistakes. Mohammed Soula also missed a golden chance to score the winner in the final moments." He also expressed disappointment over the referee's decision not to award a penalty in the dying minutes of the game.

Al-Qadsiya will now prepare for an internal camp ahead of their rematch against Al-Riffa next Wednesday in the fourth round. However, they will be without Moroccan player Mehdi Berrahma for the encounter.

Meanwhile, Kuwait SC's delegation returned home today from Uzbekistan after securing a 2-1 victory over Nasaf Qarshi in the fifth round of Group 4 in the AFC Champions League 2. Despite the win, Kuwait exited the tournament following Shabab Al-Ahli’s 3-2 victory over Al-Hussein Irbid, which cemented the Emirati team’s qualification alongside Al-Hussein.

Kuwait SC finished with 5 points in the group, while Al-Ahli topped the table with 10 points, followed by Al-Hussein (9 points) and Nasaf Qarshi (4 points). Kuwait’s final group match against Al-Hussein next Wednesday is now inconsequential.

Montenegrin coach Nebojsa Jovovic commended his players’ resilience, noting that although Nasaf dominated the first half and took the lead, Kuwait staged a strong comeback in the second half to claim the three points.

Amr Abdel Fattah was named the best player of the match, marking his second consecutive award following his performance in the 3-3 draw against Shabab Al-Ahli in the fourth round.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff