Fujairah give Al Ain a fright
SEMI-FINAL DRAW FOR PRESIDENT’S CUP TO BE MADE ON WEDNESDAY
The lowly Diego Maradona-led team strike first before the Garden City side fight back in their President’s Cup quarter-final clash |
Al Ain displayed their commitment with a well-fought 4-2 win over Diego Maradona-coached Fujairah to enter the semi-finals of the President’s Cup yesterday.
This season’s likely Arabian Gulf League champions fought back from an early deficit to hit back with a vengeance and settle the issue well before halftime and earn their place in the last four along with overnight winners Al Wasl and Al Wahda. The fourth team was to be decided later yesterday with Shabab Al Ahli Dubai taking on Sharjah Club in Ajman.
The draw to decide who will play which team in the semifinals will be made at the UAE Football Association (UAE FA) office on April 18.
Even though Al Ain looked more calculated and inclusive in their attacks, it was Fujairah who took the early lead off a swift counter attack in the eighth minute. But Al Ain changed nothing as they persisted in their poise while hitting back with two swift goals through Ahmad Khalil and Hussain Al Shahat on the halfhour mark. The Egyptian added a second to pull further away in the 39th minute.
The second half was expectedly more open but Al Ain continued being wasteful in plenty before the Fujairah goal, allowing their opponents score a second in the 53rd minute and draw nearer. But Fujairah had to succumb as the former six-time champions showed who’s The Boss and Caio added a fourth late on.
Flying kisses
The much-anticipated encounter began on a cautious note with Al Ain moving the ball through the flanks in an attempt to catch their opponents off-guard. They had a couple of early chances, the first one was an Ahmad Khalil ball across the face of goal and the second saw the intervention of goalkeeper Saleh Rabia following a through from skipper Omar Abdul Rahman.
Then followed the stunner in the eighth minute when a Mohannad Khamis through ball caught the entire defence offguard and Mohammad Khalfan strode in and placed past Khalid Eisa as Maradona celebrated by sending flying kisses towards his girlfriend in the stands.
Al Ain didn’t change anything despite the early setback, but went about their task building up attacks from deep into their own territory. Rayan Aslam came close on the 20th minute after being delivered a perfect ball by Brazilian Caio Fernandes, but the youngster placed way over.
Fujairah had a chance to double their lead in the 22nd minute but Omar Kossoko took one touch too many and goalkeeper Eisa cleared away to safety. Al Ain did manage to score in the 24th minute when Ahmad Khalil ran in tapped in, but referee called for an offside.
Ahmad Khalil finally drew level on the 29th minute when he darted in to nod home an Omar Abdul Rahman ball. Hardly had the cheers died when Al Shahat’s goalwards prod found the outstretched foot of Hassan Ameen and the far corner of the net. The Egyptian then added his second on the night in the 39th minute as he cleanly picked up a Caio delivery to tap home.
Maradona’s team fought till the end and Khalid Abdullah pulled one back in the 53rd when he poked in a stray from a narrow angle. And then Caio finally managed to get his name on the scorers’ list deep into injury period to confirm the Al Ain march into the last four stages.