Abu Dhabi: A brace of goals from Brazilian Dyanfres Douglas saw Al Ain hand Ittihad Kalba a 4-0 thrashing in the President’s Cup at the Al Wasl Club stadium.
Apart from Douglas’ brace, Omar Abdul Rahman and Ibrahim Diaky completed the tally for the winners with a goal apiece.
Omar got his first goal of the President’s Cup with a picture-perfect free-kick that put Al Ain in the lead in the 21st minute. Then Douglas slid home a cross from the left flank on a move that was initiated by Omar in the 32nd minute. After the change of ends, Diaky, left unmarked, fired one home from the top of the box to make it 3-0 with a 65th minute strike. Douglas got his second and completed the rout with a strike in the 75th minute.
On Friday, Al Wasl rallied from a two-goal deficit and clinched a dramatic 4-3 victory over 10-man Al Wahda. South Korean centre-back Rim Chang-woo put Wahda in the lead after he found the top corner of the goal with a fine strike from the edge of the box. The lead was then widened by Sebastian Tagliabue in the 17th minute.
Just when it looked like Al Wahda were running away with the match, right-back Mohammad Al Menhali pocketed the second yellow card and got the marching orders for a needless challenge on Al Wasl forward Rogerinho.
Then just before half time, forward Caio Canedo converted a penalty after he was brought down by centre-back Salem Sultan. Al Wahda then led 3-1 after left-back Hassan Ameen chipped over his own goalkeeper Rashed Ali for an own goal.
Then in the 85th minute, Canedo hammered home a measured through from Fabio de Lima. The scores were level after Lima later slotted home a penalty to force the match into extra-time after Tagliabue’s poor challenge on Al Junaibi. The centre-back then clinched the match-winner by nodding home Hugo Viana’s corner in the 103rd minute.
In another outing, relegation-threatened Al Shaab put their Arabian Gulf League despair behind with a 4-1 win over Dibba at the Emirates Club Stadium in Ras Al Khaimah to enter the quarters. With both teams locked at 1-1 at full time the match was forced into extra time. Ali Yaqoob put the Sharjah-based side 2-1 just towards the end of first break in extra-time. Then in the 117th minute Al Shaab gap was widened to two goals when Abdulla Eissa forced Dibba goalkeeper Humaid Abdullah to err. The tally was completed by Ze Eduardo with strike in the 123rd minute.
In another outing, Emirates defeated Fujairah 5-3 in extra-time to make it to the second stage. Goals from Rodrigo Pimpao and Renan Garcia for Emirates and a brace from Fujairah’s Hassan Matouk ensured that the match went into extra-time. Fujairah, having exhausted all their substitutes, were forced to play forward Ibrahim Khameis in goal and Emirates took advantage and sealed the win with goals from Mohammad Malalla, Al Hussain Saleh and Alassane Diallo.
