Abu Dhabi: Ali Mabkhout stole the match-winner for Al Jazira late in the injury time to leave Wesley Sneijder’s Al Gharafa shell-shocked with a 3-2 win in the Group ‘A’ fixture of the AFC Champions League at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium, Doha on Tuesday. At half-time, Gharafa led 2-1.

With this victory, Jazira has swelled their points tally to eight and are certain of qualifying for the knock-out stages, having kept their second position intact in the standing behind Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli, who are on 11 points. Gharafa’s chances have been virtually sealed as they remain stuck on five points despite a match in hand.

Jazira started off aggressively right from the word go but slight complacency crept in after scoring and that forced them to rally from behind in the second session to script a memorable win.

The breakthrough for Jazira came just before the first quarter. Ahmed Al Hashmi found Mabkhout with a pinpoint through and the latter toyed with a Gharafa defender before taking a shot. Though that attempt found the framework, Brazilian Romarinho, left unmarked, leaped forward to node home the rebound.

A slight lapse in concentration on the part of the Jazira defense allowed the host to draw level in the 28th minute.

Latching onto a cross from the left by Abdelaziz Hatem, Ahmed Al Aaeldin found enough space between two Jazira defenders to deflect the ball home.

Almost immediately after that goal, on the counter, Romarinho had an opportunity to double his and the team’s scores but his shot was well kept out with a full-stretch dive by Al Gharafa goalkeeper Qasem Burhan.

Just before the breather, Gharafa took the lead through former Dutch ace mid-fielder Sneijder’s corner. Diogo Amado stormed in to reach for the release from Sneijder and was given enough space by Jazira defenders to twist and turn before unleashing a right footer which after brushing from the left thigh of Jazira goalkeeper Ali Khaseif settled into the goal.    

Al Jazira showed more purpose after the change of ends and drew level in the 69th minute. Romarinho latched onto a miss-pass by Assim Madibo to set Mabkhout with a measured through. The ace striker was too good to miss out on that opportunity, his right-footed grounder settling into the bottom right corner brushing past a rooted Gharafa goalkeeper Burhan.        

Madibo, later, got the marching order following his second yellow with three minutes of injury time remaining and Jazira made it count.

Mabkout scored the match winner with a brilliant left-footed effort from a tight angle dribbling past onrushing Burhan after being set brilliantly by Romarinho.

Meanwhile, Al Wahda’s challenge in the AFC Champions League came to an end with Lokomotiv Tashkent handing them a 4-1 drubbing at their Group B fixture at the Zayed Sport City Stadium.

The visitors took the lead as early as in the fourth minute with Sardor Mirzayev finding the top-left corner of the goal from the centre of the box after being set by Shukhrat Mukhammadiev.

Mirzayev then doubled the lead in the 39th minute though a free-kick that settled into the top right corner.

The visitors widened the lead to 3-0 after the change of ends. Sanjar Shaakhmedov got his name on the scorers’ list with a right-footed effort after being set by Nivaldo.

Al Wahda did manage to salvage some pride by reducing the margin in the 88th minute after Khaled Aldhanhani nodded home a Rim Chang-Woo cross following a corner. However, immediately after, Al Wahda trailed 4-1 following an own goal by Ahmed Rashid.