AF Alwajel looks the one to beat in today’s Capital feature
Just when things seemed to be headed into a penalty shootout, deep into injury time, substitute Mohamed Marzooq sent home an inch-perfect header that let Hosani in the Sharjah goal helpless and handed Shabab Al Ahli the Arabian Gulf Super Cup title
Shabab Al Ahli were crowned Arabian Gulf Super Cup champions for the fith time in the competition’s history ater geting the measure of Sharjah thanks to Mohammed Marzooq’s last-minute goal at Al Maktoum Stadium on Friday night.
The match, which was held under the slogan of “Our Winter is Super” in support of the “World’s Coolest Winter” initiative, saw Arabian Gulf League titleholders Sharjah and UAE President’s Cup champions Shabab Al Ahli locking horns for the season’s first title.
The first real chance of the game -- only two minutes into the game -- fell to Shabab Al Ahli striker Igor Jesus, who ater receiving a cross inside the Sharjah box, saw his close-range effort going wide off the goal.
Thereater it was the King who controlled possession for a few minutes yet failed to pose a real threat on the Shabab Al Ahli goal. It was the Dubai-based oufit who next wasted a valuable opportunity to forge into an early lead, ater Federico Cartabia’s free-kick from the edge of the box went over the bar in the 11th minute.
As the first half progressed, Shabab Al Ahli continued to push for an opening goal, as they saw Abdulaziz Sanqour force Sharjah keeper Adel Al Hosani into a save on the 20-minute mark. Carlos Eduardo then missed another chance to break the deadlock in the 37th minute with a poor effort from the edge of the box.
Against the run of play, Sharjah nearly grabbed the lead five minutes from haltime, as Welliton Soares pounced on a poor clearance from Shabab Al Ahli keeper Majed Naser but failed to send it into the back of the net before both teams headed for haltime deadlocked at 0-0.
The early minutes ater resumption of play saw Al Hosani deny Shabab Al Ahli from taking the lead and Shabab Al Ahli defence block two successive atempts from Sharjah. Both teams looked cautious aterwards, as most of the play was limited to midfield with few chances created on both sides in the next 20 minutes.
With 20 minutes to go, Yahya Al Ghassani failed to put his foot through the ball following an impressive individual effort from Carlos Eduardo.
Ater reviewing the VAR, referee Hamad Ali turned down a penalty appeal for Shabab Al Ahli in the 86th minute. Walid Abbas nearly won it for Shabab Al Ahli in injury time with a powerful effort from inside the box, but his strike went over the bar.
Just when things seemed to be headed into a penalty shootout, substitute Mohamed Marzooq sent home an inch-perfect header that let Hosani in the Sharjah goal helpless and handed Shabab Al Ahli the Arabian Gulf Super Cup title.
UAE Football Association Chairman Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, General Authority of Sports Chairman Dr Ahmad Bin Abdullah Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi and UAE Pro League Chairman Abdulla Naser Al Jneibi handed both teams the medals before handing Shabab Al Ahli the Super Cup.
Earlier, the UAE Pro League released a magathreatened with the final 700m developing into a duel between Munfared and Al Mansour NF who just could not get past his determined rival. The winner showed a batling atitude under Fernando Jara, riding in the predominantly yellow silks of Al Rahmani Racing for trainer Ahmed Al Mehairbi. zine on the sidelines of the Arabian Gulf Super Cup match between Sharjah and Shabab Al Ahli, whose opening statement saw Jneibi highlighting the importance of the Arabian Gulf Super Cup, saying it holds special significance this year in light of the challenges, which the UAE Pro League has overcome for the return of football amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
SUPER CUP FACT-FILE:
Five-time champions: Shabab Al Ahli: 2008 and 2009, then 2013 and 2014 before winning the current edition.
Four-time champions: Al Jazira: 2011 and 2012, then 2016 and 2017
Al Ain and Shabab Al Ahli met in the 2014 Arabian Gulf Super Cup at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in a repeat of their meeting in the 2013 edition at the same stadium, marking the first repeat of a final in the competition’s history. Shabab Al Ahli won the 2013 edition on penalties, before winning the 2014 title, thanks to Salmeen Khamis goal.
Al Ain are the team with the most defeats in the Arabian Gulf Super Cup, as they lost the title three times in 2013, 2014 and 2018.
FIRSTS IN THE PROFESSIONAL ERA:
The first UAE national to net a goal in the Arabian Gulf Super Cup is Shabab Al Ahli’s Mohammed Sarour, who scored against Al Ain in 2009.
The first player to net a brace in the Arabian Gulf Super Cup is Al Ain’s Brazilian player Emerson who scored against Shabab Al Ahli in 2009.
The first Arab player to score in the Super Cup is Shabab Al Ahli’s Egyptian midfielder Hosny Abd Rabo who scored against Al Ain in 2009.
Al Ain and Al Jazira clash in 2012 is the first Arabian Gulf Super Cup to end goalless.
nnnnnnnnThe following 1600m handicap, for horses foaled locally, saw dirt debutant, the Ibrahim Al
Hadhrami-trained Sawt Assalam win ater leading virtually from the outset under Szczepan Mazur.
In the 1800m maiden that followed Pat Dobbs led the Mohamed Daggash-trained Dergham Athbah (GB) to a win.
Denied a double then, Jara only had to wait 30 minutes to complete his brace although his mount, Rajee, looked a most unlikely winner in the 1800m handicap in which he was virtually last as the field exited the home turn. However, the 4-year-old colt responded to Jara’s urgings, appearing fast and late to snatch the spoils from Pharitz Dubai who would have been a second winner on the card for Mazur.
The handler said: “He was third, then second in two starts here over 1600m, staying on too late to get to the winner each time so we thought this extra 200m would suit him, but all credit to the jockey who was working hard from a long way out.”
Normal service was then somewhat resumed over 1800m in a conditions race for horses who had not prevailed more than once previously with Jara aboard the exciting Kerless Del Roc locked in a war with Otoman soon ater entering the straight.
However, on this occasion, the batle was brief before Jara’s mount shot clear to follow up his track record winning effort of just last Friday, completing the jockey’s treble and doubles for Al Rahmani Racing and trainer Mehairbi. Beaten a long way on debut, in the aforementioned Abu Dhabi Championship, the exciting 4-year-old is unbeaten on dirt with his two victories over this track and trip.
ABU DHABI: Racing at Abu Dhabi on Sunday, the final UAE fixture of a busy four days locally and unusually comprised of seven races, is highlighted by the 1200m Group 3 Al Ruwais which appears to revolve around the classy AF Alwajel.
Homebred by Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda, the 6-year-old entire, like the vast majority, of the Champion Owner’s string trained by Ernst Oertel, carries a penalty, but will surely be hard to beat under retained jockey, Tadhg O’shea. The pair will bid to go one place beter than last year when they chased home RB Lam Tara. They then beat that rival’s stable companion RB Money To Burn in the 1400m Group 2 Liwa Oasis, also at Abu Dhabi and he will be seeking a third consecutive victory on his visits to the capital having landed the 1600m National Day Cup in December.
Should Al Nabooda’s star fail to fire, Rawaa looks one of the more likely to take advantage with Antonio Fresu riding for Majed Al Jahoori and Yas Racing. A 6-year-old homebred mare, this will be just her sixth career outing. Victorious on her first two starts, on dirt at Sharjah then Al Ain, last season, she made her turf debut when third in this race last year. Her latest outing was on dirt in Meydan’s 1600m Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 when fith, less than three lengths behind AF Alwajel.
This return to sprinting should suit her and she looks sure to run another solid race but was only sixth, again on the Abu Dhabi turf, in a 1600m conditions race for fillies and mares. That contest, in December, was won by Winked from Hakeemat Muscat, both again in opposition. The trio are the only three mares in Sunday’s feature.
A Prestige contest restricted to those foaled locally, the 1600m Abu Dhabi Equestrian Gold Cup is, officially at least, the main support race, but has only atracted a select field of six.
Unbeaten ater three starts and in receipt of weight from the other quintet as the only 4-yearold in the race, Hameem has a lot to find on official ratings, but the Al Ajban Stables’ youngster has looked above average, most recently with a smooth success in the 1400m Abu Dhabi Colts Classic, also a Prestige contest. Adrie de Vries, in the saddle on both most recent starts, rides again with his mount tackling older horses for the first time.
Over 2200m, the HH The President Cup Prep has atracted some quality performers among the ten declared, including Group One winner Somoud, who is penalised, Goshawke and BF Mughader.
The last named won the course and distance Emirates Championship in 2019, 12 months before Somoud landed the same prestigious prize.
The only Thoroughbred race, as is the case most weeks in the capital the finale, is a 1400m maiden. On his turf debut, just last Saturday, ater two Jebel Ali dirt outings, Le Factor was an excellent second in a Meydan maiden, also over 1400m. Assuming the 4-year-old The Factor colt has recovered from those exertions, he could be hard to beat for Musabbeh Al Mheiri under Antonio Fresu.