Ivorian midfielder Franck Kessie squandered a penalty on Tuesday when his Al Ahli side defeated Al Hilal 3-1 in the AFC Champions League semi-final.
The experienced midfielder started the match for his team and helped with his overall performance on the matchday.
His penalty was aimed toward the bottom left corner, but Al Hilal goalkeeper Bono produced a stunning save in the 86th minute to keep his side’s faint hopes alive.
Al Ahli, however, had already done enough damage by then.
The eventual winners opened the scoring early in the 9th minute when Galeno picked out Roberto Firmino in the box. The Brazilian forward curled a beautiful shot into the top left corner, giving Al Ahli a dream start.
The Saudi side doubled their lead in the 27th minute with a brilliant team goal. Riyad Mahrez slid a clever ball into the path of Ivan Toney, who calmly slotted it into the bottom right corner to make it 2-0.
Al Hilal found a lifeline in the 42nd minute through Salem Al Dawsari, who reacted swiftly to a loose ball in the box and tucked it inside the left post.
Despite the missed penalty, Al Ahli sealed the win deep into stoppage time. Firas Al Buraikan pounced on a rebound in the 97th minute, firing it into the bottom left corner to restore their two-goal cushion.
The win means Franck Kessie and his Al Ahli teammates are through to the final of this season’s AFC Champions League.
