BURAIDAH — A first-half goal from Abdelhamid Sabiri handed Al Taawoun FC a valuable 1-0 victory over the UAE's Sharjah FC in the first leg of their AFC Champions League Two 2023/24 semi-final at Wolves Park on Tuesday. The Saudi side made a flying start and took the lead inside two minutes when Mohammed Al Kuwaykibi's cross caused chaos in the Sharjah box. The ball eventually fell to Sabiri, who rifled a fierce shot past Adel Al Hosani to give the hosts the edge. Al Taawoun nearly doubled their advantage moments later, capitalizing on a defensive mix-up, but Al Kuwaykibi's strike narrowly cleared the bar. Sharjah slowly grew into the game and had chances of their own, most notably in the 19th minute when Guilherme Biro failed to convert from close range after a low cross from Caio Lucas. A Luanzinho header later in the half also missed the target, while Musa Barrow curled just wide for Al Taawoun in the 36th minute. Looking to turn the tide, Cosmin Olaroiu made tactical changes at halftime, introducing Ousmane Camara and Adel Taarabt. The move nearly paid off early in the second half when Taarabt was set free by Khaled Ebraheim, but Abdulquddus Atiah was quick off his line to make the save. Sharjah thought they had won a penalty in the 52nd minute when Camara went down under pressure after a Taarabt through ball, but the referee reversed the decision following a VAR review. Al Taawoun had a golden chance to seal a two-goal cushion late on, with Musa Barrow leading a swift counter-attack and setting up Abdulfattah Adam, whose powerful strike rattled the post. With the win, Al Taawoun take a slender advantage into the second leg on April 15, where Sharjah will aim to overturn the deficit on home soil and reach the tournament's final.
