National team midfielder Nam Tae-hee (32) helped his team, Al Duhail (Qatar), reach the semifinals for the first time in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL).
Al-Duhail will face off against the “defending champion,” Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia), whose central defender Jang Hyeon-soo (32) from the Korean national team is holding out for a ticket to the final.
Alduhail defeated Al-Shabaab (Saudi Arabia) 2-1 with Michael Olunga’s multi-goal performance in the quarterfinals of the 2022 AFC Champions League (ACL) held at Altumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar on the morning of the 24th (Korean time).
With this, Alduhail advanced to the ACL semifinals for the first time in the club’s history.
Alduhail won the Qatari regular league (Stars League) seven times, but the best performance in the ACL was the quarterfinals.
Nam Tae-hee also played a part in Al Duhail’s advance to the semifinals.
Nam Tae-hee started as an attacking midfielder and played 97 minutes, almost full time, helping Olunga score the opening goal in the 32nd minute of the second half.안전놀이터
Nam Tae-hee kicked a corner kick from the right side of the opponent’s side, kicked the ball with her right foot, and returned it to her head in front of Olunga’s goal, opening Al-Shabaab’s goal, which was guarded by Korean national team’s starting goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu.
Olunga, who was the top scorer of the tournament last year with 9 goals, rushed Ismael Muhammad’s pass from the right side inside the penalty area to the door in the 40th minute of the second half and finished it with his right foot, further tilting the game.
In the 48th minute of the second half of extra time, Al-Shabab belatedly caught up with Saeed Alubaye’s goal, but Alduhail kept the lead to the end.
Subsequently, at the Al-Janub Stadium in Al-Wakrah, Qatar, Al-Hilal, the winner of the 2021 season, defeated Foulard Khuzestan (Iran) 1-0 and joined the semifinals, continuing the challenge for a second consecutive victory in the tournament.
In the 42nd minute of the second half after a tight confrontation, Moussa Marega split the game with a right-footed shot from the right side of the goal area.
Jang Hyun-soo, who scored the winning goal in the round of 16 against Shabab Al-Ahly Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and won 3-1, played full-time that day and contributed to a goalless victory.
The semifinal match between Al Duhail and Al Hilal will be held on the 27th at Altumamar Stadium.
If they win this game, they will compete against Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) for the championship.