Al Ahli move top of AGL with 3-0 win over Al Wahda

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  • Ahli players celebrate their win.

    A new name sits atop of the Arabian Gulf League for the first time since the early weeks of the season.

    The question now is whether Al Ahli are there to stay?

    Cosmin Olaroiu’s challengers came through a tough test against resurgent Al Wahda on Friday night, Ciel’s opener plus a late flurry from Everton Ribeiro and Habib Fardan seeing off opponents who were superior for much of the running.

    Whether the victory required to usurp champions Al Ain – who fell to a shock 2-1 loss to Al Shabab on Thursday – would have still come if visiting Chile playmaker Jorge Valdivia’s famously-short fuse hadn’t blown is up for debate.

    With it went any hopes of claiming an invaluable win to close on the likely top-three finish needed to make the AFC Champions League through the top flight.

    The firebrand exploded just before the interval, frustrated at the industrial treatment meted out to stem an influential display.

    A forearm in the back of UAE defensive midfielder Khamis Esmail’s head should have seen red rather than yellow, his unsightly protestations during the resulting melee seeing referee Adel Al Naqbi produce another card.

    The visitors to Rashid Stadium had exerted sterile control throughout the first half, an excellent block from centre-back Salmeen Khamis from Valdivia’s close-range shot preventing them from taking the lead.

    Ciel’s solitary strike had surprise written all over it. His snapped effort from wide on the right came against the run of play and as a shock to goalkeeper Adel Al Hosani, who should have done much better.

    Valdivia’s blowout aside, little else of note occurred before bedraggled opponents were ruthlessly put to the sword in injury time.

    Brazil playmaker Ribeiro dinked in a sixth AGL strike in 2015/16, prior to UAE midfielder Habib Fardan coming off the bench to tap in a deflected Moussa Sow shot.

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