Al Shabab 4 (Keita 45+4, 50, Muath 73, Shuhail 84) // Emirate 1 (Daoudi 5)
Alhassane Keita, the Guinea forward, scored twice as Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia came from a goal down to emerge 4-1 winners over Emirate in the Asian Champions League at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd stadium on Wednesday.
Keita cancelled Nabil Daoudi's fifth minute lead for the Emirate in the added time of the first half and put the home side ahead five minutes after the break. Hassan Muath added a third and Abdulla Shuhail put the game to bed six minutes from time.
Emirate stunned the home side with an early goal which they held on for almost the end of the first half. Hadj Bourgueche, the Algerian forward, sent a cross to Daoudi, who side-stepped a defender before shooting it past Waleed Abdulla, the Shabab goalkeeper.
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The Moroccan had two more early chances to extend the lead but both his efforts, setup inside the area by Karim Kerkar, the Algerian midfielder, were weak and blocked by Abdulla.
Keita sent a bicycle kick when a tussle for the high ball off a corner fell on his path in the dying seconds of the four-minute injury time of the first half and put his side ahead when he headed a cross from Zaid al Mowalad.
Muath tapped in a cross from Nassir al Shamrani and Shuhail collected a long ball, took inside the area and drilled it past Ahmed Ibrahim, the Emirate goalkeeper.
It was Shabab's first win in three games, taking their tally to five points, two behind the leaders Zobahan of Iran. Emirate are third on three and Al Rayyan of Qatar remain at the bottom on one in the Group D.
Man of the match: Elhassane Keita (Al Shabab)
