Dubai: Al Ahli’s miseries worsened as they crashed to a humiliating 4-0 home thrashing against Al Wasl in 16th week action of the Arabian Gulf League (AGL) here late on Friday.
Following last week’s 0-1 away loss to neighbours and arch-rivals Al Shabab, Al Ahli’s tale of woes further deepened with their fifth defeat of the season. And further impacting the Red Knights was the loss of their skipper Luis Jimenez before half-time after the Chilean got an elbow on his face while going for a header.
The visitors had Brazilian Fabio De Lima to thank after the Brazilian with Uzbek nationality scored a brace getting his first in the 19th minute and the second in the 81st while substitute Abdullah Kazim (64th) and Caio Canedo Correa (87th) completed the drubbing of Cosmin Olaroiu’s side.
The loss leaves the defending AGL champions stalled in seventh place with 23 points while former champions Al Jazira and Al Ain continued with their ascent at the top of the standings with 36 points each.
Both sides started on a tentative note with the first note-worthy move coming in the 15th minute when Esmail Al Hammadi darted in and sent in a teasing cross, but no one was around to give it a proper finish.
Al Wasl responded well with the first goal with the half just 19 minutes young, thanks mainly to a hesitant Salmeen Khamis who allowed Abdul Aziz Fayyaz to pounce on the ball and lay it for a first time cross from Hugo Viana that was well connected by Fabio de Lima into the Al Ahli goal.
The visitors could have doubled the score in the 26th minute but Ederson Alves curled his attempt wide off goal after receiving from Viana. Al Ahli lost captain Jimenez in the 40th minute when he received a defender’s elbow on his face and was stretchered out.
Al Ahli started the second half in earnest creating a lot of chances, but somehow luck seemed to evade the Red Knights. In the 54th minute Oussama Assaidi sent in a curling cross and Al Hammadi’s header landed into the roof.
The home team’s best opportunity came a minute from the hour mark when Everton Ribeiro and Assaidi both broke the off-side trap to go unchallenged towards the Al Wasl goal. But De Lima came up with a desperate tackle that denied Assaidi, the former Liverpool winger a certain goal.
The visitors got their second goal in the 64th minute when substitute Abdulla Kazim directed a clever cross from Alves past the outstretched hands of Majid Nasser on the Al Ahli goal.
And then with just three minutes remaining, Correa made it 4-0 when he curled into the far corner after seeing the Al Ahli goalkeeper out of position.
