Late Camara Strike Sinks Al-Ahli as Sharjah Claim Crucial Asian Champions League Win

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Al-Ahli, the defending champions of the Asian Champions League, suffered their first loss in the competition since 2021 when they fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Sharjah FC from the United Arab Emirates on Monday evening in Jeddah. In a closely contested match, Sharjah's Ousmane Camara scored the game's only goal in the 81st minute, handing the visitors a hard-fought victory. Despite fielding a heavily rotated side, Sharjah's victory marked a rare defeat for Al-Ahli in front of their own fans. The loss leaves Al-Ahli in third place with five matches played in the 12-team standings, two points behind leaders Al-Hilal. The top eight teams will advance to the knockout rounds in March, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final to be played in a centralised venue in Saudi Arabia in April. Elsewhere in the competition, Iran's Tractor FC moved up to second place with a 1-0 win over Nasaf from Uzbekistan, while Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad suffered a 4-2 thrashing at the hands of Qatar's Al-Duhail. Shabab Al-Ahli from the UAE also picked up their third win, defeating Qatar's Al-Gharafa 2-0 in Dubai. The results have set the stage for an exciting conclusion to the group stage, with several teams still in contention for a spot in the knockout rounds.