AGL talking points: Makhete Diop marks a century of Al Dhafra goals in stunning style

Makhete Diop's wondergoal and the job security of a trio of Arabian Gulf League managers are the focus of Ahmed Rizvi's talking points this week.

Makhete Diop of Al Dhafra (left) celebrates scoring his 100th goal for the club, during the Arabian Gulf League football match between Al Dhafra and Al Ain, at Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Stadium. 13 MShow more

After another round of Arabian Gulf League fixtures, Ahmed Rizvi offers his take on the biggest talking points, including Makhete Diop’s increidble 100th goal for Al Dhafra, and the job security of a trio of managers.

Diop’s magnificent 100th goal

The strike could win goal of the season anywhere in the world. Al Dhafra’s Makhete Diop, taking a couple of steps in his own half with the ball, looked up to see the Al Ain goalkeeper Khalid Essa loitering around in the middle of the box.

With the ball exactly on the halfway line, the Senegalese forward unleashed a driven shot that gave Essa absolutely no chance.

Wild celebrations followed. Diop, in his dreams, could not have conjured a better way of scoring his 100th goal for Dhafra before leaving the pitch injured in the second half. It gave his team a surprise 10th-minute lead and ultimately a point as Al Ain, missing Asamoah Gyan, could score no more than once.

More importantly, the goal has brought the league back to life. Al Ain seemed to be running away with it after their win over Al Jazira last week, but their lead at the top has now been reduced to four; Al Shabab are a further two points behind.

Dhafra have creaked open the door for them and both Eric Gerets, the Jazira coach, and Shabab coach Caio Junior will be rallying their troops for a battle to the finish.

Al Ain, of course, are fighting on more than one front – they have the additional responsibility of carrying the country’s flag in the Asian Champions League, along with Al Ahli. So it will be interesting to see how Zlatko Dalic rotates his players to protect them from exhaustion. You can watch Diop’s incredible goal below.

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No boot for Garcia, but a boost

With four defeats in a row, it would be easy to imagine Baniyas coach Luis Garcia walking on thin ice. But the Spaniard looked confident of keeping his job on Friday night, following a 1-0 loss at Al Shabab.

“I will see you at the next match,” Garcia said when he was asked about his future at the club. That confidence, of course, was not misplaced.

With rumours circulating on social media about his dismissal after the Shabab match, the Baniyas management has issued a vote of confidence.

“All these rumours about his dismissal are false,” Mohammed Al Menhali, the Baniyas team manager, told the 24.ae website. “The club management has faith in Garcia’s ability to lead the team.

“All those who are asking for his dismissal should not forget that the Spanish coach was able to achieve great results with Baniyas in the first half of the season. So he deserves our full support and should be given an opportunity to turn it around.”

The governing council of the club also issued a statement later, dismissing the rumours, lauding his work with the team and promising Garcia “will be available in the next season”.

Can Al Jaber keep his job?

Looking at the support Garcia is receiving from his employers, Sami Al Jaber must be looking for similar words of encouragement as the Saudi great endures a difficult start to his job as Al Wahda coach.

Al Jaber is still searching for his first win since replacing Jose Peseiro as coach at Wahda last month. He has one point from three matches – earned in a 1-1 draw with Al Shabab – and has lost 4-1 at Sharjah and 3-0 at Al Wasl. Of course, his task has been made difficult due to the absence of key players. Argentine striker Sebastian Tagliabue has missed all three of those matches because of injury, while he travelled to Wasl without the suspended foreign duo of Hussain Fadhel and Damian Diaz.

So Al Jaber does deserve a bit of sympathy and some patience. But will he really get that from a management that dismissed Peseiro for no obvious reason?

No home comforts for Ajman

Like Garcia and Al Jaber, Ajman coach Manuel Cajuda is in a difficult spot. After drawing against Al Nasr, the Portuguese had openly called on the Ajman fans to pray for the team.

It seems the fans might not have been listening as the team crashed to a 1-0 defeat at home to Kalba, the only team below them in the table.

The loss might not come as a surprise given Ajman’s abysmal record at home this season.

They are the only team in the Arabian Gulf League who have yet to win a match at home this season, having lost six of the nine matches. Away from home, they have two wins from 10 games and five losses.

With seven matches and 21 points still to play for, Cajuda might still fancy Ajman’s chances of staying in the top division, but this loss to Kalba likely has booked their place in Division One next season.