Ciel came off the bench to score the injury-time winner that gave 10-man Al Ahli a 1-0 win at Sharjah in their UAE League Cup semi-final and ensures their treble dream is still alive.
The Brazilian emerged with just over half an hour remaining in Sharjah and with the clock ticking down to penalties, the former Al Shabab man made the most of Luis Jimenez’s through ball to fire past Mohamed Yousif.
It was tough on his former Shabab boss Paulo Bonamigo, whose Sharjah side had more than matched the Arabian Gulf League leaders until Ciel’s intervention.
Indeed, with Abdulaziz Sanqoor sent off in the 89th minute having been shown his second yellow card, it would have been the King who were expected to finish strongly. But it is the Red Knights who march on to a date with Al Jazira at the Hazza bin Zayed on April 19, and with a six-point lead at the top of the league and a President’s Cup final against Al Ain to contest on May 18 they could yet finish the season with three trophies.
For much of the game it was not clear who would go on to face the Abu Dhabi club in Al Ain.
Both sides had chances to take the lead in an open first-half, with Grafite producing an excellent save from Yousif as early as the 13th minute. The Ahli skipper was just unable to turn home the rebound from Ismail Al Hammadi’s shot seven minutes later.
Sharjah rallied though and moments later captain Fellype Gabriel almost released Yousif Saeed while just before half-time Ahmed Khamis squandered their best chance as he headed wide with the goal gapping.
Ahli threw on Ciel and Hugo Viana in the second half as they went in search of a winning goal. However, the chance to do so in normal time appeared to have slipped them by as Grafite headed a Viana cross wide before Sanqoor was given his marching orders by referee Abdulla Ali Al Zaabi.
Their path to Al Ain was secured in the 92nd minute, though, as Ciel stayed calm to send them through.
