Sport | Football

Al Ahli clinch UAE Football League

Egyptian import Hosni Abdo Rabo scored one, set up another and Salah Abbas crashed in a long range free kick to help Al Ahli to an entertaining 3-1 win over Al Shabab.

  • By Alaric Gomes, Senior Reporter
  • Published: 22:15 May 24, 2009
  • Gulf News

  • Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News
  • Players from Al Ahli club celebrate after winning the league against Al Shabab Club 3-1, during the UAE Football League at Al Shabab Club in Dubai.
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Dubai: Egyptian import Hosni Abdo Rabo scored one, set up another and Salah Abbas crashed in a long range free kick to help Al Ahli to an entertaining 3-1 win over Al Shabab to clinch the inaugural version of the UAE Football League (UFL) late last night.

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Encouraged by the presence of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council and his brothers Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone and Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee, there was no denying Al Ahli on their way to their fifth title since the league first commenced in 1973-74.

Shaikh Hamdan joined in the celebrations and then handed over the brand-new UFL trophy to the victorious Al Ahli team.

Title chasing Al Jazira swamped Ajman 4-1, but all in vain as they capital club ended runners-up for the second year on the trot, while Al Ain struck ten minutes away from fulltime to relinquish Al Shaab to the lower division next season.

In other matches, Al Nasr drew 2-2 against neighbours Al Wasl, Al Wahda secured a 2-1 win against already relegated Al Khaleej and Al Dhafrah and Sharjah split points after drawing 1-1.

Al Ahli looked every bit the champions as they mounted the early pressure and national team player Esmail Al Hammadi was the first to cause a flutter when he crossed from right and Jader Volnei Spindler (Bare) barely managed to get his head to the ball.

The early onslaught paid off as Abdo Rabo justified his expensive price tag by opening the scoring in the very seventh minute by placing past Salem Abdullah on goal after receiving a ball from Faisal Khalil.

Bare made it 2-0 by the tenth minute after he accepted a pass from Abdo Rabo and slammed past a hapless Abdullah.

Al Ahli's Faisal Khalil scored an own goal in the 36th minute while defending a Marcos Assuncao free kick to help the home team pull one back. But Al Ahli put the issue beyond doubt when Salah Abbas's free kick from nearly 30 metres bulged the net.

This was the fifth league title for Al Ahli. The last time they won the crown was at the end of the 2005-06 season, while previous wins had come in 1974-75, 1975-76 and in 1979-80.

Results:

  • Al Ahli vs Al Sbaba 3-1
  • Ajman vs Al Jazira 1-4
  • Al Nasr vs Al Wasl 2-2
  • Al Dhafrah vs Sharjah 1-1
  • Al Khaleej vs Al Wahda 1-2
  • Al Ain vs Al Shaab 2-0

Your comments


Congratulations to Gulf News for its superb quality of UAE domestic football coverage !! Keep up the Good Work.
Shams Al Huda
Dhaka,Bangladesh
Posted: May 25, 2009, 12:36

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