The stakes have changed in a fixture which, for so long, defined UAE football. But its penchant for drama and surprise remains.
Red-hot nights at Rashid Stadium were guaranteed when the hated Al Ain stepped foot in Dubai to face Al Ahli. They shared Arabian Gulf League titles – each one from 2011/12-2015/16 – and coaches, the belligerent Cosmin Olaroiu ensuring villain status for eternity with his seismic defection from the Boss nearly five years ago.
These were clashes which truly mattered. Now…. not so much.
Teething problems and diminished horizons since May’s merger ensured the new Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Club came into the fixture only six points from the drop zone and a once-unthinkable 15 points off the leaders from the Garden City. That is what a winless streak in the top flight stretching back to October 14 – and now 10 matches – will do.
A bloodied nose was all Mahdi Ali’s charges could deliver last night – and a gift for AL Wasl and Al Wahda
Substitute Saeed Jassem delivered it with his 77th-minute header against the run of play. This punished the pacesetters for sterile domination that only served up a typically assured finish from Sweden no9 Marcus Berg, 11 minutes earlier.
Not even the emotional sight of forward Ahmed Khalil returning to the Rashid in purple could stoke the flames. Berg’s header that flashed wide from the boyhood Ahli man’s centre was the best moment of a drab first half.
Unsurprisingly, superstar playmaker Omar Abdulrahman’s presence in the stands because of his controversial domestic ban for an infraction on UAE duty did not help.
نهاية قمة #شباب_الأهلي_العين بالتعادل الإيجابي 1-1
— قناة أبوظبي الرياضية (@ADSportsTV) January 26, 2018
وبهذا يكون العين قد أكمل 17 مباراة متتالية من دون هزيمة
وشباب الأهلي 109 أيام من دون فوز#شباب_الأهلي_العين #أبوظبي_الرياضية pic.twitter.com/GAflrkeMla
Yet Al Ain thought they’d claimed a valuable win when Berg pivoted in the penalty box and lashed in an 11th goal in 13 top-flight matches.
The stage was then set for Jassem to play spoiler. He was the beneficiary of poor marking from UAE centre-back Ismail Ahmed.
In response, UAE prospect Rayan Yaslam and veteran replacement Ibrahim Diaky rattled the woodwork.
A relieved Shabab Al Ahli greeted the final whistle with resounding cheers. This truly is a new reality.
