Wapda go down fighting against holders Regar

LAHORE - The final of fifth AFC President's Cup will be played on Sunday (today) at Metallurg Stadium between
Tajikistan's Regar TadAZ and Kyrgyzstan's Dordoi-Dynamo.
Pakistan Wapda put up heroic display in 3-4 defeat against holders and host Regar TadAZ in semi-final last
night while Dordoi-Dynamo of Kyrgyzstan overwhelmed Turkmen side Ashgabat 2-1 in other penultimate round
match.
During pulsating WAPDA-Regar semi-final, substitute Maruf Rustamov stuck his second dramatic goal as
Regar fought back three times to edge out WAPDA 4-3 in extra-time. Regar were already trailing to Zulfiqar Ali
Shah's 42nd minute free-kick goal. The Jacobabad-born midfielder rifled home a free-kick into the top corner
from the edge of the area to stun an expectant home crowd.. WAPDA led 1-0 at interval and home side suffered
agony when Kamil Saidov was sent-off just before the hour mark for the apparent use of an elbow.
Ibragim Rabimov pulled Regar level with 16 minutes remaining only for Quetta-born midfielder Mahmood Ali to
put WAPDA within seven minutes of becoming the first Pakistani team to reach the final of an AFC event. But
defender Rustamov, playing in a more advanced attacking role since his second-half introduction, headed home
in the first minute of added time to force extra-time.
WAPDA substitute Khuda Bakhsh alias Bakhso again silenced the home crowd 13 minutes in the first extra
period. But three minutes later, with the last kick of the half Hasan Rustamov, the younger of the two Rustamov
brothers who was also on as a second-half substitute, rifled home a third equaliser before Maruf sent the home
side into Sunday's final against Dordoi Dynamo with just two minutes remaining of an enthralling contest.
Dordoi took a step closer to a third AFC President's Cup title in four years after edging out Turkmenistan's
Ashgabat 2-1. Talant Samsaliev's speculative first-half effort opened the scoring for 2006 and 2007 champions
Dordoi, who lost last year's final to Tajikistan's Regar TadAZ, before Vadim Harchenko's neat close range finish
at the start of the second-half doubled the lead. Centre-back Azat Muhadov reduced the deficit before the hour
mark but Dordoi were worthy of a fifth consecutive final appearance after holding off Ashgabat, who lost at the
semi-final stage for a second straight year.