Shabab fail in bid to secure second place

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  • Al Shabab saw their hopes of claiming second in the Arabian Gulf League (AGL) disappear Friday night after they were held 1-1 by Bani Yas at the Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium.

    The Dubai side needed three points to climb to the runner-up spot and put pressure on Al Wahda, who travel to Al Shaab on Saturday, but instead could only salvage one point against Bani Yas in the final round of the AGL.

    A goal from Bani Yas’ Nawaf Mubarak in the second half was later cancelled by a header from Sanad Ali and Shabab now face a potential fourth-place finish in the league depending on the result of Al Jazira – who are two points behind – against Sharjah on Saturday.

    Shabab had held on to second position in the table for most of the season, but a poor final stretch that saw them winless in their last six games of the league (four losses and two draws) has diminished their chances of playing Champions League football next year.

    Still, Brazilian coach Marcos Paqueta says he’s satisfied with his side’s season overall: “I think at the end of the season we have accomplished our objective which is to finish in the top-four.

    “No one expected us to do so. We were second until the last two rounds of the league. Unfortunately we couldn’t maintain that position but that can’t cancel the big effort and the good season from our players.”

    In a tame first 20 minutes, Shabab had the upper hand in terms of possession and led a few attacks through Dawood Ali and Carlos Villanueva but with no serious threat on Mohamed Khalef’s goal.

    The hosts had their first real chance in the 22nd minute when Abdulla Faraj curled in a pinpoint cross and Rashid Hassan did well to connect but his left-footed volley was just wide.

    Eight minutes later, Nasser Masood found himself one on one with the Bani Yas ‘keeper but the Shabab midfielder strike was blocked by Khalef.

    Sanad Ali could have put the home side in front right at the whistle but he skied his close range effort.

    Both teams picked up the pace in the second half but it was Bani Yas who broke the deadlock in the 66th minute thanks to Nawaf Mubarak. The Samawi midfielder lofted over a sublime free kick which was too much for ‘keeper Ismail Rabee to handle, the ball skimming his hand on its way into the net.

    Substitute Salem Saeed almost doubled the visitors’ lead when he dribbled past the Shabab defence down the left side of the box but sent his strike wide. 

    Shabab found the equaliser though four minutes from time when Sanad Ali headed a Faraj cross to salvage a point for Al Jawareh.

    Mohammed Al Shammiry almost snagged the three points for Shabab in the final seconds but his header hit the post before Haydarov missed the follow.

    Paqueta blamed Shabab’s poor run of results in the business end of the season on injuries.

    He said: “The difference this season is that in certain crucial moments, we lost many of our starting players due to injury. Our results were bad in pivotal moments. Look at us today, our strikers were all absent. Even the forwards from our reserve team are injured.”

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