After the sensational win over Al Jazira, Al Ahli were dreaming of getting their AFC Champions League campaign off to a winning start.
But Clederson Cesar's missed penalty and a nondescript performance from his Brazilian compatriot Jader Volnei Spindler put paid to their hopes and the hosts went down 1-2 to Pakhtakor.
Odil Ahmedov opened the scores for the Uzbek visitors in the 22nd minute from the penalty spot and Zaynitdin Tadjiyev doubled the tally in the 67th minute. Hosny Abd Rabo scored in the 89th minute to raise the hopes of the home fans, but it was too little too late.
Cesar had an opportunity to equalise in the 53rd minute when Ahli got a penalty, but the Brazilian's lethargic attempt was comfortably stopped by the Pakhtakor goalkeeper Ignatiy Nesterov, which pretty much summed up the South American's listless night.
The hosts had made a promising start with Spindler coming close in the seventh minute after a well-worked one-two with Faisal Khalil, who has just been recalled to the UAE squad for their forthcoming World Cup qualifiers.
Alexander Geynrikh, however, turned the tide in the 15th minute with a blistering run down the right. His stunning volley on the run hit the left post that rattled the Ahli defence.
Seven minutes later Ildar Magdeev was brought down by Yousuf Jaber and captain Ahmedov converted from the spot.
A similar infringement against Ismail al Hammadi gave Ahli a golden chance to level the scores in the 53rd minute, but Cesar kicked weakly into Nesterov.
The escape saw Pakhtakor return with a vengeance and Zaynitdin Tadjiyev tapped in the winner in the 67th minute after a pinpoint cross from Geynrikh.
Hosny managed to reduce the deficit in the 89th minute, but despite all the urgency in the closing moments, the hosts failed to find the equaliser.
arizvi@thenational.ae
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million