Iranian star Mehdi Ghaedi made his second appearance for Al-Nasr this season after a long absence due to injury. However, his return was not enough to prevent his team's 2-1 loss to Shabab Al-Ahli in the first leg of the quarter-final of the Arabian Gulf Cup (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Cup). The match was very exciting, especially in the first 15 minutes. Despite Ghaedi's involvement and his movements that gave Al-Nasr additional attacking solutions, the team faced difficulties in stopping Shabab Al-Ahli's counter-attacks, which were more dangerous and effective. This made the match favor the home team in the first half. The match started strongly, with Shabab Al-Ahli taking the lead in the 12th minute through Matheus Lima, who exploited a defensive error, dribbled past the goalkeeper, and scored. Just two minutes later, Al-Nasr quickly equalized through Abdallah Touré, who scored with a skilled solo run to bring the match level in the 14th minute. But Lima struck again, scoring Shabab Al-Ahli's second goal in the 24th minute with a well-organized attack and a cross from Bala to put his team back in front. In the second half, Al-Nasr tried to fight back through the movements of Kevin Agudelo and Touré, as well as Ghaedi's search for a goal to mark his return. However, Shabab Al-Ahli's goalkeeper Hassan Hamza shone on multiple occasions and saved his team from dangerous chances. The match also saw the return of player Luca to Al-Nasr's squad after a long absence, while Ghaedi's participation was an important indicator of his gradual return to form, despite the loss. With this result, Al-Nasr enters the second leg at Al Maktoum Stadium on the 29th of this month, needing a win to compensate for the first-leg defeat, while Shabab Al-Ahli has secured a spot in the semi-finals.
