Al Ahli snatch late win over Al Jazira to keep Arabian Gulf League title race alive

Brazilian playmaker Everton Ribeiro, left, scored a late winner for Al Ahli to close the gap on Arabian Gulf League leaders Al Jazira to six points. Courtesy Arabian Gulf League

Al Ahli 2-1 Al Jazira

Ahli: Khamis 76', Ribeiro 85'

Jazira: Mabkhout (pen) 68'

Sent off: Khamis Esmail (Ahli)

STORY OF THE MATCH

DUBAI // Al Ahli snatched a late victory against Al Jazira on Saturday night to suggest there remains life yet in the Arabian Gulf League title race.

The UAE champions had Everton Ribeiro to thank at a poorly attended Rashid Stadium, the livewire Brazilian sweeping home the ball after substitute Asamoah Gyan had miscued his shot. There were only five minutes remaining.

Now, there are only six rounds of the season remaining, Jazira’s lead at top of the table chipped down to six points. The Abu Dhabi club are chasing down what would be only a second UAE championship, but they have the seven-time winners drawing ever closer behind them in second. As the campaign enters crunch time, Ahli are putting the squeeze on.

For a while in the second half, it appeared Jazira were set to squash the hopes of the chasing pack. Ali Mabkhout put the visitors 1-0 up on 68 minutes, first failing from the penalty spot once Khamis Esmail had tripped Mohammed Fayez, but the UAE striker gratefully forced the rebound from Majed Naser’s save into the Ahli net. It was Mabkhout’s 24th goal of the season.

Yet Ahli responded like champions do. Eight minutes later, Salmeen Khamis got his head to a loose ball in the Jazira area — Esmail had struck the crossbar with a wicked shot — and the defender bundled it over the line via Makhete Diop’s back. Having drawn level, the hosts flooded forward for the decisive blow.

It eventually came from Ribeiro’s boot, an instinctive reaction following Gyan’s mis-hit. Ahli celebrated wildly, but in the celebrations that came after, Esmail was spotted shoving an opponent. The Ahli midfielder was promptly shown a second yellow card.

That mattered little, though, since Cosmin Olaroiu’s men had done enough to take the points. So six points the gap with six rounds remaining? There is life in this title race yet.

MAN OF THE MATCH — Everton Ribeiro

The Ahli playmaker was the game’s most proactive player, and capped a decent performance with the crucial winner.

NATIONAL VERDICT

Jazira looked set to get the point it seemed they had set out to gain, but Ahli displayed commendable resolve to secure a victory. It was not their greatest match, yet the defending champions will not care: they have to attack the final few months of the season with similar vigour.

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