Sharjah and Emirates emerge winners in AGL
sharjah — Sharjah came from behind to defeat Shabab Al Ahli 2-1 at Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium in matchweek 3 of the Arabian Gulf League.
The game got off to a slow start, as Shabab Al Ahli broke the deadlock in the 34th minute through Jaimen Ayovi. The Ecuadorian was left with a simple tap in from a close range after Adel Al Hosani failed to save Mauro Diaz’s initial right footed weak curler tightly.
Sharjah responded in the 44th minute, as Ryan Mendes took the ball just after the halfway line and dribbled skillfully past Shabab Al Ahli’s defence. The Cape Verdean finished his brilliant solo run past Majed Humaid with a composed right footed effort, making it 1-1 into halftime.
Just eight minutes into the second half, the King took the lead for the first time, as Igor Coronado’s well placed freekick from the edge of the box left Humaid helpless as the ball nestled into the top corner. The referee pointed to the spot to award the home side a penalty kick in the dying moments in the game, after Sharjah’s defender Abdalla Ghanim handled the ball inside the box. Al Hosani saved Ayovi poor shot from the spot, to secure the full three points for the King.
Following the win, Sharjah top the league table with the full mark and 12 goals scored in three matches, ahead of their anticipated encounter against Al Jazira next week.
Shabab Al Ahli, on the other side, occupy the sixth league spot with three points and will face Al Ain in matchweek 4 of the Arabian Gulf League.
Meanwhile, a late goal-fest saw Emirates earn a hard-fought 3-2 win over Dibba at Emirates Club Stadium. The Falcons took the lead three minutes before the break through Saeed Salem’s header. The forward leapt highest to head home Abubakar Sylla’s cross from the right flank. A quiet second half exploded into life in the final ten minutes as Jordanian international playmaker Yaseen Mahmoud delivered an inswinging cross from the left wing that found its way past all players and into the bottom corner of Emirates goal to equalise for Dibba in the 82nd minute.
Dibba’s joy was short-lived as Emirates restored their advantage just four minutes later through Amer Omar’s spot kick.
Omar then turned from scorer to creator, dribbling past three players and squaring from the left for Waleed Ambar who swept home the third in added time to confirm the Falcons’ victory.
There was till time for the visitors to pull one back through Ahmed Ibrahim who advanced into the opposition box, dribbling past his marker intelligently before firing from a narrow angle to make it 3-2.