Aubameyang fires Al Qadsiah into King's Cup final with stoppage-time winner over Al Raed
Saudi Gazette report
DAMMAM — A last-gasp goal from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sealed a dramatic 1-0 victory for Al Qadsiah over Al Raed on Wednesday, booking the club a place in the King's Cup final for the first time in years.
The Gabonese striker struck in the second minute of stoppage time, capping off a dominant performance from Al Qadsiah, who had controlled much of the semi-final clash at Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium in Dammam.
Al Qadsiah will now face Al Ittihad in the final, after the Jeddah-based side pulled off a dramatic 3-2 comeback against Al Shabab in the other semi-final on Tuesday.
From the outset, Al Qadsiah looked the more composed and attacking side, dominating possession and applying constant pressure on Al Raed's defense.
Despite their attacking intent, they were repeatedly denied by a standout performance from Al Raed goalkeeper André Moreira, who made several key saves to keep the score level through the first half.
In the 58th minute, Mohammed Abu Al Shamat tested Moreira with a powerful long-range strike that the Portuguese shot-stopper palmed away brilliantly. Moreira was called into action again in the 65th minute, saving from close range to keep Al Raed in the contest.
Al Raed, for their part, focused on deep defensive organization and counterattacks but struggled to create any meaningful chances.
Just as the match looked set for extra time, Ezequiel Fernández launched a high ball over the top in the dying seconds. Aubameyang timed his run perfectly, shrugged off his marker, and slotted home a composed finish to send the Al Qadsiah fans into celebration.
The win sends Al Qadsiah to a highly anticipated final showdown against Al Ittihad, setting up a battle between two in-form sides vying for domestic silverware.
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