Al Ahli defeat makes Al Wahda football league champions
Al Wahda are the 2000-01 UAE First Division Football League Champions. Yesterday, playing at home, they achieved this distinction with two matches still in hand while their closest rivals Al Ahli lost to Al Shabab to exit from the title race.
Al Wahda are the 2000-01 UAE First Division Football League Champions. Yesterday, playing at home, they achieved this distinction with two matches still in hand while their closest rivals Al Ahli lost to Al Shabab to exit from the title race.
Al Wahda, who started today's match with 43 points, defeated Emarat Club 2-1 while Al Ahli (42), with one match left, lost 1-2 to Al Shabab.
It certainly was a dramatic evening when at halftime Al Wahda were held 0-0 by the lowly Emarat Club while Al Shabab were leading 2-0 against Ahli.
A prolonged meeting at the breather, when coach David Marinus must have emphasised to his players the need to finish off with a win, seemed to have worked for the champions.
Within four minutes from restart Yasir Salim headed home a perfect cross from Haider Ali Allo and the victory celebrations were on the anvil. But Al Wahda, who had survived a penalty in the first session and definitely denied one when Fahad Masaood was brought down, got into a bundle of nerves. The most affected was their new player Sami Al Aroosy, who missed one of the easiest chances from about six yards with an open goal.
In the stands, every time a mobile rang, there was a buzz as news regarding the progress of Ahli-Shabab match was being closely monitored. A couple of more misses and then the hardworking Yasir earned a free-kick for Al Wahda. Bashir Saeed's shot came rolling off a defender to Abdul Rahim Juma, who unleashed a powerful shot that found the net and sent the large band of supporters into celebration mode.
However, with about 12 minutes to go, Emarat, who were battling to survive in the league, pulled one back through Basim Abdulla.
Suddenly there was an uneasy silence among the fans as news from the Dubai match at that stage was that Ahli had reduced the margin and two Shabab players along with one Ahli player was sent off. Aroosy was rightly replaced by Adel Mattar and when Yasir Salim was also substituted the chances of another Wahda goal dimmed. This and the Emarat goal put these supporters on the edge but Al Wahda managed to hold on.
Goalkeeper Hussain Ali of Al Wahda, who actually made his team's task easier by saving the penalty in the first half off Badr Alwan, brought off another brilliant save when he tipped over a powerful shot from Waleed Hagi.
Came the final whistle from referee Mohd. Abdul Kareem and the supporters swarmed into the field starting off their holiday eve in high spirits.
"I am very delighted. Today more than the rival team, our main opponent was the referee," said coach Rinus after the match. "We have really worked hard and always played to win. I hope we can make it a triple this season," added Rinus, whose team has now won three tournaments in a row since the end of last season.
