Nigeria international Henry Onyekuru came off the bench to score for Al Fahya in their comfortable 4-1 AFC Champions League away victory against Pakhtakor at Bunyodkor Stadium on Tuesday night.
It was Pakhtakor who took the lead with only 10 minutes played when Khojimat Erkinov scored off a cross from Dragan Ceran but Zambia international Fashion Sakala levelled matters for Al Fahya in the 40th minute after rushing to meet a cross from Osama Al Khalaf before slotting home for a 1-1 result at the half-time break.
On resumption, Sakala turned the provider as he laid a neat pass to Sultan Mandash to put Al Fahya ahead for the first time in the game in the 46th minute. Onyekuru was then introduced in the 58th minute for Milan Pavkov and the Super Eagle put Al Fahya 3-1 up in the 85th minute after connecting home a cross from Rakan Kaabi.
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Sakala then rounded off the emphatic win in the stoppages after Ali Al Jubaya had done the spadework from the right wing. The victory ensured Al Fahya qualified for the last 16 of the competition as they finished second in Group A behind Al Ain, who won 2-1 against Turkmenistan’s Ahal, but their nine points saw them take the final runners-up berth in the last 16 after Navbahor and Sepahan had already claimed the first two slots.
Riyadh’s Al Nassr had already confirmed themselves as Group E winners ahead of Tuesday’s games and a side missing Cristiano Ronaldo was held to a 1-1 draw by Tajikistan’s Istiqlol in Dushanbe.