Winning start for Shabab Al Ahli Dubai
dubai — Shabab Al Ahli had the ideal start to life as a rebranded team in the Arabian Gulf League, with a victory over Hatta.
The club, which saw Al Ahli, Al Shabab and promoted Dubai FC merged to form one entity in the summer, won 4-1 at the Rashid Stadium on Saturday night. Shabab Al Ahli Dubai had fallen behind after a Samuel Rosa penalty on 16 minutes, but Senegalese frontman Makhete Diop cancelled that out before half-time. And then, Mohammed Marzooq Abdulla had the easiest of finishes for the lead, tucking it in after goalkeeper Obaid Thani had fumbled, on 48 minutes.
Diop scored his second of the night on 79 minutes after which Tomas Sebastian wrapped it up with the fourth, two minutes from time. The victory put them second in the standings, behind Al Wahda, who blanked Dibba 5-0 at the Al Nahyan Stadium, with Argentine striker Sebastian Tagliabue firing the second hat-trick of the weekend.
In a late game on Friday night, Sharjah and Al Nasr played out a goalless stalemate, at the Sharjah Stadium. Hatta, one of the standout clubs of last season after earning promotion, were handed the lead on a platter after Salmin Khamis handled the ball following Samuel Rosa’s tee up from the right. Rosa then stepped in to do the honours.
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai had forays but nothing great to write home about. One such was Diop’s header off a corner, on 24 minutes, which lacked direction. A little later, Saeed Ahmad Abdulla came up with a wayward header after a cross from the left. Saeed Ahmad was to miss another one later with him shooting wide after a slew of passes from Abdulaziz Haikal and Diop.
Their first real opportunity was to come on 36 minutes when Henrique Luvannor’s brilliant effort, forced an aerial save from Obaid Thani. Shabab Al Ahli Dubai did get the equaliser two minutes before the break with Diop cleverly playing on, chesting it down and firing home Haikal’s inch perfect cross from the right. And the lead was to duly come three minutes on the restart with Mohammed Marzooq Abdulla directing it home after Obaid Thani was deceived by the spin of Tomas Sebastian’s curling freekick from the left.