Al Ahli blew their chance to draw level with Al Ain at the top of the Arabian Gulf League after Al Dhafra grabbed a last-gasp equaliser in Madinat Zayed on Saturday night.
Two goals from Senegal striker Moussa Sow looked to have sealed all three points for Cosmin Olariou’s team.
But Omar Khribin netted in the fifth minute of injury time to earn Dhafra a 2-2 draw that leaves Ahli two points behind Al Ain, who had lost 3-2 at Sharjah on Friday.
It all started so well for Ahli who went ahead four minutes into the game as Ismail Al Hamadi sent Abdelaziz Haikal down the right wing. The full-back crossed to the back post, where Sow beat his marker and headed home his seventh goal of the season.
The home side thought they had drawn level midway through the half, but Makhete Diop’s header from a corner was ruled out for a push.
However, in the 36th minute it was 1-1 when Ahmed Ali’s set piece was put through his own net by Al Ahli midfielder Majed Hassan.
Sow put Ahli back in front with 13 minutes to go when he capitalised on a misjudged punch from goalkeeper Abdulla Sultanto head home his second of the game and eighth league goal in 14 games.
But, just as Ahli seemed to have done enough to take three points back to Dubai, Dhafra struck another equaliser.
The visiting defence failed to clear Ali’s free kick, Diop hooked the ball back across goal, Adil Hermach’s header was saved and Khribin smashed home the rebound.
In Saturday’s late game, Emirates ended an eight-game losing streak with a 2-1 home win over bottom side Al Shaab.
Helal Saeed and Alassane Diallo netted on 19 and 65 minutes to give the Ras Al Khaimah side their first win since November last year. They are third bottom, two points ahead of Dhafra, while Shaab have not won a game all season.
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