Al Nahda fall to Al Faisaly in AFC CL2 in Amman

AHMED AL KAABI
MUSCAT, OCT 15
Al Nahda suffered their first defeat in Group C of the AFC Champions League Two 2026-27 after going down 2-0 to Jordan’s Al Faisaly at Amman International Stadium on Wednesday.
Jean Ahoua opened the scoring on the half-hour mark before Ahmed Al Ersan added a second in the 76th minute, leaving the Omani side with one point from their opening two matches. Al Taawoun lead the group with four points following their 2-1 victory over Al Rayyan, while the Qatari and Jordanian sides have three points each.
Al Nahda made an encouraging start and threatened inside two minutes when Mohammed al Ghafri fired from inside the penalty area, forcing goalkeeper Abdullah al Fakhouri into an early save. Al Faisaly responded almost immediately, with Ahoua testing Fayez al Rushaidi at the other end.
The visitors created another opening in the eighth minute as Petrus Boumal reached a lofted through ball inside the area but sent his effort narrowly wide. Al Ersan then tried his luck for the hosts, shooting well over the crossbar in the 14th minute.
Al Faisaly gradually gained momentum and Ahoua drew another save from Al Rushaidi in the 26th minute. Four minutes later, the forward made the breakthrough, collecting Al Ersan’s pass and calmly lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper.
The hosts continued to threaten before the interval. Ghaith al Madadha shot over in the 39th minute, while Al Ersan headed wide two minutes later. Al Nahda had an opportunity to draw level shortly before the break, but Yousef Nasser’s header drifted past the post.
AL NAHDA SEEK WAY BACK
Al Nahda sought a way back into the contest after the restart, although they struggled to turn their attacking efforts into an equaliser. Jameel al Yahmadi fired over from outside the area in the 70th minute before Al Ghafri forced Al Fakhouri into another save three minutes later.
With the visitors pushing forward, Al Faisaly struck on the counterattack to double their advantage. Claudio released Al Ersan with a through ball, and the forward drove into the penalty area before unleashing a powerful shot that crashed against the underside of the crossbar and into the net.
Both sides made changes in the closing stages as Al Faisaly sought to protect their lead and Al Nahda continued their search for a goal. Ahmed al Kaabi tried from distance in the 87th minute, but his effort cleared the crossbar.
The hosts nearly added a third five minutes into stoppage time when substitute Anas al Awadat shot from inside the area, only for Ahmed Faraj to clear near the goal line.
Marouane Taieb then headed over at the other end as Al Nahda’s final opportunity went begging, completing a frustrating evening for the visitors in the Jordanian capital.