The winning debut on the newly refurbished pitch at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium gave Jazira coach Abel Braga the bragging rights while his opposite number, Austrian Josef Hickersberger, known more for his cool and calm, erupted over the referee's decision to award a penalty in the first half which was however not converted.
Braga, whose team joined Al Ain at the top with three successive wins, said, "It was a crucial win for us. Both sides bottled up their rivals strikers very well and it was a hard-fought win for us. We played better in the second half and once again have gathered full points against Al Wahda."
Braga's star striker Ricardo Oliveira, who failed to convert the first-half penalty, was substituted, and fracas broke out on the bench. "It was nothing, we exchanged a few words and he was in fact unhappy that he did not play well," said Braga, though the former AC Milan and Real Betis looked visibly upset.
With about three minutes to go for the final hooter, Tony's shot caught Al Wahda goalkeeper Adel Al Hosani on the wrong foot after the ball took a deflection off defender Hamdan Al Kamali.
"That penalty in the first half was invented. It is another thing that Al Jazira did not take the ‘gift' by the referee," said Hickersberger, who was ejected from his seat for showing dissent.
It was Al Wahda's first defeat in three games but they are in third place behind Al Ain and Al Jazira, who have perfect records.
