Etisalat Cup round-up: Al Wahda come from behind in Dubai

Mohammed Al Shehhi notches the winner as Al Wahda rally back with three second-half goals for the victory

Papa Walgo of Al Wahda, right, duels with Dubai's Mohamad Jamal. Ashraf Umrah / Al Ittihad

Al Wahda remained in the hunt for a place in the last four with a battling 3-2 win at Dubai last night after being down 2-0 at half time.

At the break, Dubai had the game under control with goals from Faisal Ali in the 21st minute and Juliano Roberto Antonello, the club's new Brazilian midfielder, in the 34th.

However, Wahda, listless in the first half, looked a different team after the change of ends, making most of the play.

Their efforts bore fruit when Papa Waigo's header made it 2-1 in the 57th minute.

Salem Saleh then equalised in the 71st minute and Mohammed Al Shehhi, the former UAE national, booted in the winner nine minutes from time.

This was Wahda's last group game and they are top of the standings with 16 points.

Al Ain (15 points), who have a match in hand, could finish as the group champions if they beat Al Shaab in their final game on March 17, but Wahda can still go through to the last four as the best runners-up from the three groups.

Elsewhere, Al Jazira secured a place in the semi-finals by defeating Kalba 4-1 and clinching the top spot in Group B. Ricardo Oliveira and Ibrahim Diaky scored in the first half for the home side.

Kalba's new Zimbabwean recruit, Edward Sadomba, pulled one back in the 69th minute, but Shin Hyung-min, the Korean defender, restored Jazira's two-goal edge, and Fernandinho continued his fine form with the fourth, four minutes from time.

Also in Group B, Emiliano Alfaro's 89th-minute goal gave Al Wasl a 2-1 victory over Baniyas, a result which knocked the hosts out of semi-final contention.

The Brazilian newcomer Jussie Ferreira Vieira gave Wasl an early lead, and Ahmed Ali equalised for the hosts in the 37th minute.

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