Attacking quartet does it for Shabab Al Ahli Dubai
dubai — Shabab Al Ahli Dubai returned to winning ways by swamping 10-man Emirates and wrap up Week 4 of the Arabian Gulf League on Saturday night.
The attacking quartet of Makhete Diop, Henrique Luvannor, the re-registered Moussa Sow and new Asian signing Chang-jin Moon gave the Al Quasis club a 4-0 win at the Rashid Stadium.
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai’s third win came after they had endured a stalemate against Sharjah in the Arabian Gulf Cup last time out and the defeat to fierce rivals Al Ain the League’s ‘Al Clasico.’
Emirates were down to 10 men after Alhusain Saleh was sent off by referee Ahmed Eisa Mohamed for a challenge on Habib Al Fardan, on the hour.
Cosmin Olaroiu’s men moved to third on the table, behind new leaders Al Wasl and Al Ain, while the Ras Al Khaimah side remained in eighth after suffering their second loss.
Senegalese marksman Diop went level with Al Wasl’s Fabio de ShAbAb Al Ahli DubAi 4 Goals: : Makhete Diop 10, Henrique Luvannor 25, Moussa Sow 45+3, Chang-jin Moon 90+3. Yellow cards: Henrique Luvannor 19, Habib Al Fardan 61) EMirAtES 0 Yellow cards: Ahmed Al Shaji 9, Ahmed Malalla 24. Red card: Aljhusein Saleh 60) Lima on six goals in the top goalscorers’s table.
It was a clinical performance from Shabab Al Ahli Dubai and a huge relief for the Romanian tactician Olaroiu, who could call upon the full complement of his foreign contingent, for the first time in quite a while.
For large parts of last season and the start to this, Olaroiu didn’t have all of his foreign men at the same time. Apart from Diop and Luvannor, they had Sow, who had come in for Tomas Vincenti and South Korea’s Moon, the replacement for compatriot Kwon Kyung-won.
The Dubai club were up and away 10 minutes in, with Diop scoring the penalty after Habib Al Fardan was brought down by goalkeeper Ahmed Al Shaji inside the box.
Henrique Luvannor then added the second on 25 minutes by firing it home past Ahmed Al Shaji following a freekick after Luvannor himself was felled.
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai had the game wrapped up heading into the half-time break after Sow popped up to head in Fardan’s curling freekick from the left, in added time in the half. Meanwhile, the night turned worse for Emirates after Alhusein Saleh was sent off on the hour after a skirmish with Fardan, who also got a booking from referee Ahmed Eisa Mohamed.
The 24-year-old Chang-jin Moon, who had come on for Waleed Ambar just past the hour, made a fine debut by adding his name to the scoresheet, in the third minute of stoppage time.
The attacking midfielder, who was unmarked, pounced on the rebound after Diop’s effort was blocked by Ahmed Al Shaji, to slip it home.
Emirates substitute Ali Mustafa tried for a consolation goal but his pile driver just whizzed over the cross bar.