Al Wasl were famously coached by Diego Maradona in 2011–2012.
The home side trailed 1–0 coming into the return leg in Dubai. Coming into the game, I was curious what kind of atmosphere lay ahead, but it was one of passion and excitement.
Soon after arriving, I could not help but notice that numerous home fans proudly displayed “You’ll Never Walk Alone” on the back of their Al Wasl-coloured regalia.
Spending the game amongst the Al Wasl “ultras” brought home the passion among local fans following their side in a city full of expats.
The travelling side dominated early on and could have put the tie beyond the reach of Al Wasl. Ibrahim Gbadamosi scored from close range in the 21st minute; it was the first of two goals on the night for the Nigerian striker. The home side took over soon after the opening goal, but they went into the break 2–0 down on aggregate.
Brian Palacios gave the home side hope after scoring from a deflected corner just after half-time. Palacios had only been introduced at the interval.
Siaka Sidibe the stand-out performer
Siaka Sidibe was the stand-out performer on the night. The Malian midfielder dominated the midfield throughout the game. The 22-year-old set the tempo with his energy, precision passing, and unlimited work rate. Al-Zawraa struggled as the game went on with Sidibe’s dominance. He completed an impressive 65 passes from the centre of the park, with 17 ball recoveries.
Al Wasl trailed by two goals on aggregate for the second time in the tie when Al-Zawraa scored against the run of play in the 65th minute. Gbadamosi completed his brace on the night.
Miguel Borja, the marquee striker signed from River Plate in January, scored for his new side in the 77th minute. Al Wasl continued to pile on the pressure as they looked to take the tie to extra time.
Adryelson the hero for Al Wasl
Adryelson became the hero, scoring from close range in the 93rd minute. The former Lyon star returned to Al Wasl in 2025 and went on to score the winning goal in the 109th minute. It was that man Sidibe who won the free-kick on the edge of the box.
The Brazilian defender went on to score his incredible fourth goal in six games in the Asian Champions League.
I spoke to one of the Al Wasl fans leaving the stadium and asked him about the “You’ll Never Walk Alone” slogan on his jersey. “It’s about being with the team as one — whether we win or lose, we are together.”
Sadio Mané and co. await.
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