A night that started with intrigue surrounding one Iran star ended with another seeing red as Shabab Al Ahli maintained the pace in their UAE Pro League title defence.
Sardar Azmoun gave the surest sign yet that he is returning to full fitness as he started for the Dubai side against Al Jazira.
The 31-year-old striker has suffered an injury-plagued season. Ahead of the recent international break, he had been building up his recuperation with an increasing number of minutes off the substitutes bench for his club.
He was then conspicuous by his absence from the Iran national team during the past two weeks.
Azmoun is one of the stars of Iranian football, but was missing from the squad for their friendlies against Nigeria and Costa Rica.
According to reports from Iranian media, his absence was not to do with his fitness concerns. Instead, he was expelled from the national team for showing his support for the UAE.
Azmoun reportedly upset the Iranian authorities by posting a picture on Instagram of a meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
The picture was seen as an act of disloyalty, suggesting Azmoun was showing solidarity with the UAE during the time of conflict.
Some Iran players who ply their trade in the UAE did feature in Iran’s fixtures. Saman Ghoddos started both games, then scored twice as he returned to club football in Kalba’s 2-2 draw with Al Bataeh on Saturday.
Mehdi Ghayedi, the diminutive playmaker, also played a useful role for his club after returning from Iran national duty. He set up the late equaliser which earned Al Nasr a 2-2 draw with Al Wahda in Dubai on Saturday.
Despite the controversy, Azmoun excelled leading the line for Shabab Al Ahli. He played a role in the opening goal for Yuri Cesar.
Jazira levelled with a Nabil Fekir penalty after 69 minutes, but the home team regained the lead when Renan headed their second with nine minutes to go.
Shabab Al Ahli closed out the win that took them back to the top of the table. They now have a two-point lead at the top over Al Ain, who have played one less game and face Ajman on Sunday evening.
The finish to the game was overshadowed by the sending off of another Iran star. Saeed Ezatolahi, the towering midfielder who has played over 80 times for Iran, was shown a red card for standing on the ankle of Fekir.
Ezatolahi’s impending suspension could be problematic for a Shabab Al Ahli side who are fighting for success on various fronts.
They have a mouthwatering, top-of-the-table clash against Al Ain at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on Friday night.
The following Tuesday, they are scheduled to face Tractor in the last 16 of the AFC Champions League in Jeddah.
Whether that fixtures goes ahead remains to be seen. Tractor are the champions of Iran, and have been instructed not to play in “hostile” territory by their country’s sports ministry.
If they do withdraw, Shabab Al Ahli would then advance to the quarter-finals of the continent’s top club competition four days later.
Given the succession of huge fixtures to come, salvaging the late win against Jazira was a major positive, according to manager Paulo Sousa.
“We are demanding in everything we do on a daily basis because we want to grow as individuals and as a team,” Sousa said.
“We want to be competitive all time and win matches. For that we have this character, we have this personality.
“We don't have, like last season [when Shabab Al Ahli won the domestic double] the chance to rotate certain players.”
