Al Ahli 0 // Al Jazira 0
Man of the match Khalid Eisa (Al Jazira)
DUBAI // Abel Braga, the Al Jazira coach, said he will bring Ricardo Oliveira, the Pro League's most expensive signing, back into the squad next week to boost the club's defence of the Etisalat Cup after a scoreless draw with Al Ahli at the Rashid Stadium last night.
"Ricardo is now eligible to play for us and he will play in the next game," Braga said. "At the beginning of this competition I had mentioned we want to keep the Etisalat Cup and we will field the strongest available line-up to win the next two games."
The former AC Milan forward, who was signed for a record Dh72.5 million in the summer of 2009, has rejoined the Abu Dhabi club after cutting short his loan period with Sao Paulo, his native Brazilian club.
"It is not unusual, this result, because both teams were not fully focused with so many players away on national duty," Braga said. "But one point is still better than nothing. It gives us another opportunity to stay in the race."
Jazira remains alive in the competition, on nine points, three out of second place with two matches remaining.
But whatever slender hopes Al Ahli had in the cup competition ended on their turf; they have five points from eight matches and cannot catch Al Shabab, who are in second place with 12 points.
David O'Leary, Ahli's first-year coach, said his side "needs more time" to gel. "Braga has been with his team four years," O'Leary said. "We're in a team-building project."
Both teams had plenty of scoring opportunities, but poor finishing and fine displays by the two goalkeepers, Khalid Eisa and Saif Yousuf, kept the match goalless.
Eisa, the Jazira goalkeeper, nearly made a mess of things when he failed to collect a free kick from Pinga but, fortunately for him, Ahmed Khamis fired the loose ball wide, 10 minutes before the break.
Eisa later did well to push out an effort from Pinga, the Brazilian midfielder, and kept out a dipping shot from Hassan Ali Ibrahim. Towards the end, he showed safe hands on a couple of long range shots from Abdullah Abdulrahman and Khamis.
Yousuf made two excellent saves, both off Ahmed Jumaa. The first was from 12 yards after a looping pass from Bare, Jazira's Brazilian striker, and the next a shot from the top edge of the box that he kept out.
The visitors had the best chances to take a lead in the first half but Ahmed Dada could not control a pass from Bare inside the area and Sultan Bargash al Menhali's effort from a rebound ricocheted out of play off a defender.
