"This was a special night. I thank the players, the fans, and all the members of the Sharjah club. We deserve to reach this stage," said Olaroiu.

"We started the match very poorly and we were nervous, which led to mistakes. However, after 20 minutes, we got into the game.

"At halftime, I told the players that the only outcome when you feel afraid is losing, and that there is no other outcome."

The tactician reserved special praise for goalkeeper Adel Alhosani who saved Achraf El Mahdioui’s spot-kick in the 15th minute.

"The turning point in the match was goalkeeper Adel's penalty save, and it wasn't the first time he has saved us.

"Now we have a chance to win the title, and we must fight for it."

It was heartbreak at the very end for Saudi Arabia's Al Taawoun but head coach Mohammed Al Abdali was gracious in defeat.

"We congratulate Sharjah for qualifying. We suffered from circumstances which affected the team's organisation.

"We apologise to our fans, especially those who were present in Sharjah. Our desire was to bring them joy. I also thank the players for their efforts during the tournament," said Al Abdali.