Al Nasr grind out Cup victory over Al Ahli

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Al Nasr and Al Ahli locked horns at the Al Maktoum Stadium.

    For both Al Ahli and Al Nasr, this was undoubtedly the case on Friday night as Khalifa Mubarak’s smart feet gifted the hosts at Al Maktoum Stadium a 1-0 win as the Arabian Gulf Cup began.

    The centre-back’s reflexes were reminiscent of missing striker Wanderley as he backheeled home Tariq Ahmed’s lashed shot just before the break. The summer buy from Sharjah was a glaring absentee, this Group B-fixture coming hours after the AFC provisionally suspended him from all Asian football for 60 days pending a full investigation into his nationality status.

    The ramifications are severe. If the Indonesian passport secured to fulfil the Asian spot in the four-player foreign quota is found inauthentic, their dreams of success in both the AFC Champions League and Arabian Gulf League could disintegrate.

    The depleted – thanks to their seven-strong UAE contingent – Red Knights put in a predictably stuttering display in defeat.

    Their minds would have instead focused on Sunday’s unveiling of ex-Al Ain icon Asamoah Gyan, as well as the fact 19-goal striker Lima was back on the pitch after a serious knee injury.

    The 33-year-old lashed, badly, wide just before the hour mark during a goal-mouth scramble in which a penalty should have been awarded against Blue Wave debutant Fawaz Awana for handball. The unflinching form which saw him plunder 14 goals during his first 12 matches after a July 2015 switch from Benfica will have to wait.

    This was one of few lively moments for the top-flight champions. Brazil playmaker Everton Ribeiro rattled the base of the post on the hour mark and substitute Saeed Jasem forced a fine save from Ahmed Shambieh during injury time.

    Their opponents – still, for now – who are contesting the AFC Champions League quarter-finals also rarely threatened before Mubarak’s strike. They will hope for a similar lack of drama off the pitch in the coming weeks.

    Images courtesy of the Arabian Gulf League.

    Recommended