Al Ahli coach Cosmin Olaroiu was banished to the stands as his team were held to 0-0 draw at 10-man Al Wasl on Monday night.
In an ill-tempered game, which saw the hosts lose Edgar Bruno late on, the main talking point came in the 62nd minute when referee Adel Al Naqbi harshly cautioned Ismaeel Al Hamadi.
That sparked an angry reaction from the Ahli dugout and the Romanian’s protest to Al Naqbi saw him sent to the stands.
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Olaraoiu confronted Al Naqbi again at the final whistle and while he failed to appear in his post-match press conference, his assistant Catalin Raducan believes the referee’s performance must be looked at.
“It’s difficult to speak about this issue,” said Raducan.
“The players, coaches and referees all have their own jobs. Sometimes we do mistakes and so do referees. It’s big pressure for everyone and when they make mistakes, they should pay for their own mistakes.
“I cannot complain about my players because they played very well and put in 100 per cent effort.”
Wasl coach Gabriel Calderon refused to be drawn on the matter but backed the referee.
“He’s the best referee in the league but I can understand Al Ahli’s reaction. It was no easy match for the referee.”
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The Red Knights lost the chance to make ground on league leaders Al Ain with a draw in their game in hand only narrowing the gap to three points.
Wasl goalkeeper Rashed Ali was called into action early on, forcing a smart blank save from Ahli club-record signing Moussa Sow.
Playing their eighth game in 29 days, the Red Knights did begin to find their rhythm, though. Ahmed Khalil, playmaker Everton Ribeiro and Sow were all denied while the Cheetahs failed to fashion any clear cut chances.
With the game goalless at half-time, it was the visitors who started the second period brightly. And it proved to be a busy night for Al Naqbi, who stopped play several times after challenges from both sets of players.
Following Olariou’s dismissal and with 15 minutes to go, Ahli looked likely to score the winner. Khalil’s deflected pass found Ribeiro inside the penalty box but his pass was blocked by Wasl.
With 10 minutes to go Sow was replaced by Ciel, making his first appearance in 18 months. And that switch nearly paid off. With plenty of space, Ciel should have struck the target when put through, but his squared pass to Khalil was diverted by Wasl.
Bruno received his second yellow for a challenge deep into the stoppage time for Wasl.
