Recap of first encounter between Arab teams at Club World Championship Doha, Qatar
Two Arab teams clashed on the opening day of the Men’s Club World Championship in Doha, Qatar. Al-Gharafa sports hall hosted the wonderful match between Al-Ahly of Saudi-Arab and home team Al-Arabi Doha on Wednesday, December 15, 2010. The match continued
for 1 hour and 29 minutes and finally graced Al-Arabi’s team with triumph. The native boys sparked on the home soil and posted 3-1 (25-17, 27-25, 25-17, and 25-20) victory over visitors, the Al-Ahly club. It was the first match of Pool A teams in the Club
World Championship. Pool B teams, Drean Bolivar of Argentina and Paul Mitchell of USA played the first match of the tournament earlier in the day.
Al-Ahly of Saudi-Arab assembled a team of following players:
Ahmed Abdel Latif Khater Mohamed Moawad Mohamed (Libero) Abdelrehim Mohamed Abdelmeniem Abd El Kader Mahmoud (Captain) Thakil Mohamed Alexander Shane Abdalla Hossam Mohamed Ahmed Oraby Omar Elkotb Ahmed Issa Mohamed
Al-Arabi Doha comprised of following players:
Jumah Mohamed Jumah Al-Jumani Said (Captain) Abdelaziz Saoud Salem Abdalla Pampel Christian Ahmed Bakhet Mohamed Fadhel Abdullatif Omar Hisham Mohmed Faesel Ibrahim Mohd Ismaeil Jumah (Libero) Al-Hitmi Said
First Set
The home side was fully prepared for their first fight. The sports arena was overcrowded with large number of local fans. The emotional support of fans enabled Al-Arabi’s Team to open the match at right foot. Ahmed Bakhet of home side supplied plenty of
power to his serves and rolled off the ball toward rival’s half. The mighty hits of Pample Christian proved to be an extra help of Al-Arabi’s team. The home team worked out good points in the early phase of the game. On the other hand, Al-Ahly struggled with
Alexander Shane’s serves and Al Koteb Ahmed attacked with a lot of zeal. However, Saudi-Arab’s team was down with frequent ball-reception errors, which provided an edge to Al-Arabi Doha to build a lead in the game. They added quick points and covered the length
of first set in 22 minutes. Al-Arabi Doha clinched success by posting 25-17 in the first set.
Second Set
Saudi-Arab’s team hit back strongly in the second set. The loss of first set simply put them on fire. They covered every inch of the court and stood on solid footing. Likewise, the pumped up squad of Al-Arabi Doha produced incredible shots and tried to maintain
their lead in the game. Both sides exchanged long rallies and scored points at every possible attempt. Al-Ahly’s captain boy, Abd El Kader Mahmoud relied on back-row attack and managed to define a winning course for his team. In the need of hour, Mohamed Ahmed
joined hands with captain and added more points in his team’s score. The home side reacted to Al-Ahly’s strike but failed to stop them from scoring. Al-Ahly made a great comeback in the game and clawed its way to success in second set. They scored 27-25 to
claim the second set.
Third Set
Al-Arabi Doha was raged up after dropping the second set. They re-aligned their team and started the hard-hitting. Revenge was the order of third set. The aggressive attack attempts promptly raised Al-Arabi Doha’s score, while Al-Ahly suffered the damage.
The exchange of heavy volleys continued for 20 minutes. Al-Arabi’s team successfully dismantled the power of their competitors and once again took the control of operations in the game. They secured the third set with 8 points margin (25-17) and pushed Saudi
team behind.
Fourth Set
Al-Arabi Doha remained on the same course in fourth set. The better attack and defence strategy allowed them to keep an upper hand on Al-Ahly’s squad. The home side led the game in fourth set and closed it at 25-20. Al-Arabi Doha obtained first-match victory
at the home series and created a chance for local audience to celebrate their first victory.
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