RIYADH: UAE side Shabab Al Ahli on Wednesday formally requested that their Asian Champions League semi-final against Japanese club Machida Zelvia be replayed, claiming that their late equaliser should have stood.

The Emirati side were beaten 1-0 in Jeddah on Tuesday but a club source told AFP that the referee made a technical error in disallowing a 93rd-minute equaliser.

Machida Zelvia took the lead through Yuki Soma in the 12th minute and Shabab Al Ahli believed their Brazilian winger Guilherme Bala had levelled the scores as the seconds clock ticked towards the final whistle.

But Australian referee Shaun Evans disallowed the goal after consulting the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), which ruled that the Emirati side had taken the throw-in that led to the goal before the Japanese team had completed a substitution.

The Shabab Al Ahli source, who asked not to be named, told AFP: “An official objection was submitted by the club before the team left the stadium.

“The objection includes a request to replay the match, and therefore it was decided to keep the team in Jeddah until a decision is made on our request.”

The appeal will have to be considered rapidly because Machida Zelvia will face defending champions Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia in the final on Saturday.

The UAE Football Association has pledged its support for Shabab Al Ahli “in any step it takes to safeguard its rights” and called on the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to “select appropriate referee teams for the competitions it organises”.

Furious Shabab Al Ahli players protested to the referee at the end of the match, and goalkeeper Hamad Al Maqbali received a red card.

Al Maqbali said: “The referee wanted us to be eliminated, and he succeeded in doing so.”

Shabab Al Ahli’s Portuguese head coach Paulo Sousa said: “The referee treated Shabab Al Ahli unfairly and disallowed a legitimate goal due to a serious technical error. He was the one who allowed play to resume, so why did he disallow the goal afterward?” He added: “Everyone’s level has improved at this stage of the tournament,except the refereeing.”

On the other hand Machida’s fairytale run continued and they vowed to keep their cool in Saturday’s final on hostile soil.

It was the latest remarkable result for Machida — led by a former high-school coach — on their debut campaign in Asia’s top club competition, just over a decade after being in non-league — semi-professional — football.

Go Kuroda, who spent almost three decades coaching one of Japan’s top high-school sides, warned his team were hitting form at just the right time.

“This is the first time that Machida Zelvia are challenging in Asia and the players are performing really well,” said Kuroda, according to the Asian Football Confederation website.

Machida’s surprise run has been built on a remarkably stingy defence — this was their third 1-0 win in a row in the knockout rounds.

“The players stayed focused till the end and that was great,” added Kuroda.

“To keep a clean sheet is our motto and we managed to achieve that, so it gives us confidence.”

Kuroda, who was hired in late 2022 and has masterminded Machida’s unlikely rise to the top of Asian football, added: “The atmosphere will be immense, so we have to keep our composure.”

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2026