Abu Dhabi: It was a fitting end to the UAE’s 2012-13 football season as 10-man Al Ahli scored a 4-3 win over their Dubai rivals Al Shabab in an edge-of-the-seat President’s Cup final played at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi last night.
Al Ahli led 2-1 at the break but Al Shabab, who were down 0-2 fifteen minutes into the game, fought back to level scores twice, once at 2-2 and again at 3-3. However, UAE national team star Esmail Al Hammadi scored the decisive goal six minutes from the close of play, his shot going in off Bruno Edgar to help Al Ahli win their 8th President’s Cup and equal Sharjah’s feat - who have also won it eight times.
The match had all the trappings of a final, with two penalties being awarded, one saved, a superb goal off a freekick and a red card at the fag end of the game.
It was Al Ahli who had the better support in the stands and also seemed to hold the edge with some attacking football, but Al Shabab fought back and went down fighting. Adnan Hussain gave Al Ahli the lead in the sixth minute and nine minutes later, Grafite made it 2-0 when he converted a nice forward pass from Amir Mubarak Ghanem.
Al Shabab reduced the margin in the 33rd minute when a freekick by Ciel was brilliantly headed home by the tall Bruno Edgar.
Soon after the break, Edgar scored again to make it 2-2 and Al Ahli’s woes were increased when four minutes later, they earned a penalty but
Grafite’s shot was saved by the Al Shabab goalkeeper Salem Abdullah.
Luis Jimenez then leashed a superb freekick which found the far corner to make it 3-2 in the 57th minute for Al Ahli. Just when it looked like the Red Knights have done enough for the day, their defender Abdulaziz Hussain’s sliding tackle brought down Luiz Henrique inside the box. Ciel sent Majed Nasser the wrong way to level scores 3-3 and there were only nine minutes of regular play left.
Three minutes later, Al Ahli earned a flagkick and off the resultant melee, the ball ballooned to Esmail Al Hammadi who controlled it well, swivelled and shot home. Edgar, who had moved back to defend the flagkick, deflected the ball home though Al Hammadi celebrated the goal with a spectacular jig.
The action continued even after seven goals with Grafite being sent off for a second offence while Adnan Hussain, the scorer of the opening goal who was on the bench, was also ejected for arguing with the linesman.
