Elite ACL Matchday 3: Masharipov and Ashurmatov's team defeated by UAE club

28 October 2026, 07:10·56·Sport

In one of the key matches of the 3rd round of the AFC Champions League Elite held in the United Arab Emirates, local side Shabab Al Ahli hosted the famous Iranian club Esteghlal. The Tehran-based team, featuring Uzbekistani legionnaires, faced difficulties on the road and suffered a 0-2 defeat.

The outcome of the match was decided in the second half: goals from Mateusao and Juan Alvina for the hosts secured an important 3 points for the UAE club, moving them up in the tournament standings.

Performance of Uzbek legionnaires and match overview

Members of the Uzbekistan national team defending the colors of Tehran's Esteghlal received varying amounts of playing time in this match:

Ashurmatov in the center of defense: Defender Rustam Ashurmatov started the match and played the full 90 minutes, participating in repelling the hosts' successive attacks;
Masharipov's late appearance: One of the team's leaders, Jaloliddin Masharipov, started the game on the bench and was only brought on in the 86th minute, when the score was already 2-0, replacing Razzahina;
Hosts' decisive strikes: Shabab Al Ahli opened the scoring in the 69th minute with an accurate shot from Mateusao, and in the 84th minute, Juan Alvina scored the second goal, putting the final touch on the match.

Tournament standings and match summary

Competition and stage: AFC Champions League Elite, Matchday 3;
Final score: Shabab Al Ahli — Esteghlal 2:0;
Goals: Mateusao (69), Juan Alvina (84);
Esteghlal lineup: Farabbasi, Fallah, Aghasi, Rustam Ashurmatov, Hardani, Cheshmi, Razzahina (Jaloliddin Masharipov, 86), Asani, Goudarzi, Saharhizan, Gholizadeh (Koushki, 82);
Points and standings: After this victory, Shabab Al Ahli increased their points tally to 9, moving up to 2nd place in the tournament table; Esteghlal, having lost points away, dropped to 5th place with 6 points.

This defeat prevented the Iranian club from joining the group leaders and highlighted the need for tactical adjustments by the team's coaching staff ahead of the upcoming rounds.