AFC - Captain Ahmed Khalil scored a pair of headers inside the final 15 minutes as Al Ahli of the United Arab Emirates qualified for the last 16 of the AFC Champions League for the first time at the expense of Uzbekistan’s Nasaf after twice coming from behind to edge out Iran’s Tractorsazi Tabriz 3-2 on Tuesday in Group D.

Mehrdad Bayrami opened the scoring for already-eliminated Tractorsazi midway through the first half, and after Brazilian Everton Ribeiro briefly pulled Al Ahli level before the hour mark at Rashid Stadium, Saman Narimanjahan reclaimed the lead for the visitors.

But with Khalil first heading home with 12 minutes remaining before repeating the feat 10 minutes later, Al Ahli secured second place in Group D after Nasaf could only share a goalless draw at home with table-topping Al Ahli from Saudi Arabia.

Needing to win and while also hoping Nasaf failed to beat Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli to keep their qualification chances alive, Al Ahli started brightly as Everton Ribeiro dragged an effort wide inside the first 15 minutes.

But it was Tractorsazi who took the lead as Bayrami was on hand to sweep home from inside the penalty area after Ahmad Kamdar’s deflected shot following a superb solo run from close to the halfway line had dropped down near the penalty spot.

Al Ahli, though, continued to press forward and Ossama Assaidi and Everton Ribeiro both went close for the home side in quick succession.

And Al Ahli had the ball in the back of the net four minutes before half-time, but Assaidi had strayed narrowly offside on the edge of the area from Everton Ribeiro’s pass before tucking the ball into the corner past Tractorsazi goalkeeper Issa Ndoye.

Al Ahli remained on the front foot at the start of the second half and finally equalised two minutes before the hour mark as Khalil’s header found Habib Al Fardan and the defender cut into the area before squaring the ball across the face of goal for Everton Ribeiro to convert into the empty net with Ndoye drawn to his near post.

And Al Ahli came close to completing the comeback less than two minutes later as Kwon Kyung-won’s looping effort from the far side of the penalty area beat Ndoye but crashed back off the crossbar.

But Tractorsazi took full advantage of the stroke of luck and regained the lead six minutes after the hour mark as Walid Abbas’ slip close to the near touchline allowed Bayrami to collect the ball and cross for Narimanjahan to sweep across Al Ahli goalkeeper Ahmed Mahmoud and into the bottom corner with a first-time finish.

Al Ahli, though, set up a tense finish as Khalil was on hand to direct a downward header from Everton Ribeiro’s cross past Ndoye with 12 minutes remaining.

And Khalil was unlucky not to hand his side the lead five minutes later as the Tractorsazi crossbar was again rattled with Ndoye beaten as the Al Ahli captain met Abdelaziz Sanqour’s cross.

But Khalil was not to be denied as another Sanqour cross from the left found the striker and this time the United Arab Emirates international directed his header into the bottom corner past Ndoye’s despairing dive with just two minutes of normal time remaining.