Al Dhafra’s one hundred per cent start to the Arabian Gulf Cup came to an end as visitors Al Wahda battled for a 2-2 draw at Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Stadium.
Sebastian Tagliabue gave Al Wahda the lead after just eight minutes before Al Dhafra momentarily turned the game on its head before the break.
Makhete Diop equalised for the home side with his 40th minute header as the Wahda defence failed to pick up the Senegal striker from an in-swinging corner which he duly converted from eight yards.
This was to be the first goal of three in five minutes as both sides exchanged the lead before half-time.
Just three minutes after his leveller, Diop’s flick-on found Youssef Kaddioui who took advantage of Fahad Dhanhani’s reluctance to come off his line and collect the loose ball to slot past the Wahda keeper.
Tagliabue soon had his second, expertly guiding Yousif Mohamed Yousif’s superb cutback past Ali Al Amir with a fine header back across goal.
Elsewhere, a Rodrigo Souza inspired Emirates Club looked to have registered their first Group B win at the third attempt but for a spirited second-half comeback from Fujairah, with the two sides sharing a 2-2 draw at Emirates Club Stadium.
Souza first handed his side the lead in the 17th minute before turning provider for Alhasan Saleh to double his side’s lead.
Fujairah hit back in the second-half and were back in the game six minutes after the break courtesy of a Mohamed Khalfan Ali strike.
And the visitors were level in the 79th minute, Ebraheim Khameis Khameis grabbing his side’s second.
The result leaves Dhafra top of Group B, while Wahda remain bottom with a single point. Emirates and Fujairah occupy the respective two places above Wahda.
