Al Wahda climbed up to fifth in the Arabian Gulf League as captain Ismail Matar drove his side onto an impressive 3-2 win over neighbours Bani Yas in Abu Dhabi.
The UAE star, whose future at the Al Nahyan Stadium has come under question, provided assists for both of Wahda’s second-half goals, scored by Damian Diaz and Sebastian Tagliabue.
The latter had given his side a fifth minute lead only to see it cancelled out 10 minutes before the break as Yousef Jaber scored.
Carlos Munoz grabbed a late, acrobatic second for Bani Yas but it was to be Matar’s night.
As Wahda wished Sheikh Khalifa Al Nahyan a speedy recovery from illness, at kick-off some of their fans raised posters in support of their captain – who after postponing contract negotiations has been accused of greed.
Matar maintains he just wants to concentrate on his football and the homemade placards made it clear that he retains the backing of the Wahda support.
The crowd was back on its feet, this time in celebration, less than five minutes in as Tagliabue checked his run perfectly to stay onside and stab home Damian Diaz’s perfectly weighted through ball.
But if that goal was expected to provide relief, it did not. Bani Yas grew into the game as the first half wore on and notched a deserved equaliser as Jaber thundered Abdulsalam Al Mukhaini’s near-post flick past Ali Mohamed in the Wahda goal.
Things weren’t going the home side’s way, with Hamdan Al Kamali forced off the field twice in less than five minutes, and while Jose Poseiro’s men rallied before the break, they departed at half-time to a chorus of heckles.
The mood in the ground changed immeasurably in 11 second-half minutes as Wahda scored twice. Matar was at the heart of both moves, as he first teed up Diaz with a determined run across the box.
The Argentine did well to find the back of the net with Al Mukhaini in close proximity, but his compatriot Tagliabue applied a more routine finish to head a pin-point Matar cross home.It was the striker’s 14th league goal of the season.
There would be a standing ovation for Wahda’s favourite son but not before Munoz had ensured an anxious final five minutes for the home side with a brilliantly instinctive overhead finish to Ahmed Malalla’s right-wing cross.
