Sardar Azmoun gave the clearest indication yet that he is returning to full form and fitness with a goal in Shabab Al Ahli’s thrashing of Kalba in Dubai.
The Iran striker, who is a key figure for both club and country, has been beset by injuries this season.
Paulo Sousa, the Shabab Al Ahli manager, has said Azmoun is crucial to the club’s hopes of retaining their UAE Pro League title, as well as their pursuit of AFC Champions League glory.
The defending champions moved back to the top of the league with a 5-1 win over Kalba, with title rivals Al Ain set to face Al Wasl on Thursday.
It was the second round of Pro League matches since the onset of the US-Iran conflict, and the supporters again made conspicuous shows of patriotism.
Ahead of kick-off, they unfurled a tifo celebrating President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, accompanied by script referring to the toughness of the people of the Emirates.
And, again, they also celebrated their Iranian stars. Azmoun’s every move was cheered by the home fans after he emerged as a second-half substitute, especially when he headed home from a corner.
It was his first goal since September, in his sixth substitute appearance of the campaign. He has yet to start a game, but appears to be timing his recuperation well for the business end of the season, plus the World Cup which follows.
His club have seven matches left in the league campaign, in which they hold a one-point lead over Al Ain, having played a game more.
They are also pursuing continental success, though progress has been complicated by the regional conflict.
Shabab Al Ahli are due to face Iran Pro League side Tractor in the last 16 of the AFC Champions League Elite. That double-legged encounter has been postponed because of the unrest.
One solution that has been proposed has been to play the ties as one-off games in a centralised location in Saudi Arabia, where the remainder of the competition is due to be played in April anyway.
However, it seems highly unlikely Tractor would travel to play. If they do forfeit, Shabab Al Ahli could get a bye to the quarter-final.
Azmoun potentially could be on the negative side of another forfeit, relating to Iran’s involvement in the World Cup in the United States in the summer.
Ahmad Donyamali, Iran’s minister of sport and youth, has insisted that Iran will not be taking part in the tournament after the US killed its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“Considering that this corrupt [US] regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” Donyamali said on state television.
Although Donald Trump says Iran are welcome to participate in the US, it feels unlikely in the present climate. The situation affects a variety of players who were involved at the Rashid Stadium on Wednesday night.
Despite limping off with a leg injury in the draw with Al Wahda four days earlier, Saeed Ezatolahi was outstanding in Shabab Al Ahli’s midfield engine room.
The towering midfielder has played over 80 times for Iran and was a key figure in their qualification for the World Cup.
Kalba also have a duo of Iran internationals. Ahmad Nourollahi, Kalba’s captain, has played over 30 times for Iran, while Saman Ghoddos, the former Brentford winger, also plays for them.
Each was substituted early after listless displays against Shabab Al Ahli, but the opposing Iranian players shared friendly conversations on the field after the match.
Sousa, the former Borussia Dortmund and Juventus player who oversaw a domestic double with Shabab Al Ahli last season, said he was satisfied with his side’s display.
“We always try to reach our goals with hard work and, against a team that has always made it difficult for us, I am happy with this result,” Sousa said.
“In the second half, we showed the ability to speed up the game, to be very vertical, and quickly reach the opponent's goal.
“We ended up scoring the second goal and created conditions that allowed us to have greater control of the game and the result.
“In the first half, we rushed a lot, we tried to force passes that we didn't need and we had to defend counterattacks to our goal, because of Kalba’s speed.”
