Shabab Al Ahli won the Arabian Gulf Cup for the fifth time after defeating Al Nasr 5-4 on penalties at Sharjah Stadium on Friday night. The match was held under the slogan "Year of the 50th Cup Final" in honor of the UAE's Golden Jubilee.

In 8 minutes, Shabab Al Ahli had a golden opportunity to take the lead when Igor Jesus was pulled down on the near post and Federico Cartabia's left-footed free-kick hit the woodwork. Four minutes later, Al Nasr countered with a strike on their own, with defender Saeed Suwaidan missing a decent chance.

Midway through the first half, the defending champions began to look more threatening. Majed Naser saved a powerful effort from Diaa Saba before the Shabab Al Ahli goalkeeper made another save in the 27th minute when he denied Mehdi Abeid's close-range effort.

Al Nasr was reduced to ten men in the 34th minute after Gláuber Lima was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Igor Jesus after a VAR analysis.

After teammate Igor Jesus burst down the field on a counter five minutes before the break, Carlos Eduardo struck a decent effort short. Despite having control in the final minutes, Shabab Al Ahli was unable to take advantage of Al Nasr's numerical disadvantage, and the score remained 0-0 at halftime. In the second half, Shabab Al Ahli had the upper hand as they poured on the pressure in search of the game's first goal.

Jaloliddin Masharipov was given penalty for a violation inside the box, but the referee reversed his decision after consulting the VAR just before the hour mark. Five minutes later, Mashripov had a chance to score, but Al Nasr’s goalkeeper Ahmed Shambieh parried his long-range effort. After that, Igor Jesus' glancing header went just wide of the post, and Carlos Eduardo's header was saved by the in-form Al Nasr goalkeeper.

In the 82nd minute, Mohammed Marzooq was sent off for a second booking for a foul on Ryan Mendes, and Shabab Al Ahli was reduced to ten players. Eduardo missed a golden opportunity to score a late winner when he misjudged his header, but Al Nasr hung on for the four minutes of extra time, forcing a penalty shootout. Shabab Al Ahli won a record-extending fifth Arabian Gulf Cup title and avenged their previous season's loss to Al Nasr in a dramatic penalty shootout.

As the opening match of the 2021 AFC Champions League between India's FC Goa and Qatar's Al Rayyan approaches, it is clear that the team is ready to give theirs all as India's first-ever representative in the tournament. FC Goa captain Edu Bedia spoke about the club's prospects in the tournament and how the team is turning up concerning the Indian Super League ahead of the championship's launch (ISL).

“The ISL has teams that are mostly identical (to FC Goa) and balanced, but we are now playing teams at a higher level. Last season, Persepolis reached the final, and all of the teams are extremely competitive,” Bedia said.

“We're working hard and being as competitive,” says the team. We'll have to make sure that in the games, we take full advantage of our opportunities.”

Edu's journey has made him be a massive killer in many aspects. Competing in teams that have defied the odds and triumphed and he claims that the South Asian side will put up a strong challenge with their quality players. After a grueling ISL season, the Spaniard is optimistic that his players are mentally prepared for the challenge of yet another bio-secure bubble.

On April 14, Iran's Persepolis FC will face Al Wahda of the UAE, followed by FC Goa's match against Qatar's Al Rayyan.