Diego Maradona and Fujairah fail to gain automatic Arabian Gulf League return during painful final day

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  • Dubai resident's coaching stint is over.

    Diego Maradona’s Fujairah endured a chastening final day as they were painfully denied automatic promotion to the Arabian Gulf League by veteran defender Essa Mohammed’s cheap deflected goal that saw 10-man Khor Fakkan escape with a ruinous 1-1 draw.

    Wild recriminations followed on and off the pitch upon full time as the undefeated Wolves faced up to the realisation they must successfully pass next month’s play-offs after they were bumped down to third in First Division League by joyous Ittihad Kalba.

    Jorvan Vieira’s Tigers began Friday outside the guaranteed progression spots because of an inferior head-to-head record, but they critically prevailed 2-0 versus Al Urooba. This ensured they repeated runaway champions Bani Yas’ achievement of earning an instant top-flight return.

    In a rollercoaster fixture in front of more than 4,000 fans at Fujairah Stadium, the hosts went ahead just before the hour mark through right-back Fahad Sebil’s penalty only for Mohammed’s 35-yard set-piece to soon ricochet off striker Mohammed Ali and embarrassingly squirm under goalkeeper Saeed Sadeq.

    A strangely subdued Maradona – hired to much fanfare last May to end a five-year spell away from management – then largely watched on in stunned silence as even the late dismissal of Omar Jowher for a two-footed lunge could not secure a triumph to match Kalba’s.

    A two-legged contest against the AGL’s bottom-placed side Hatta will decide their fate on May 9 and 13 as they aim to go up for the first time since 2015/16.

    Fujairah found it tough going from the off on the east coast. This was no surprise for a profligate outfit who had missed spot-kicks in their last four league games and recorded a damaging 10 draws.

    Indeed, the best chances fell to fifth-placed Khor’s Ali either side of half-time. His low free-kick first sailed wide, before a mishit killed a promising position.

    Fujairah were forcibly given a lifeline when Mohammed elbowed French midfielder Omar Kossoko just inside the area and Sebil did the business down the middle from 12 yards on 59 minutes.

    Just 180 seconds later, Mohammed’s hopeful punt bounced off Ali to level.

    Jowher was dismissed with less than 10 minutes remaining.

    Fujairah’s Argentine forward Danilo Carando would then twice be wasteful with his head – one injury-time effort being cleared off the line – to ensure an agonising wait for Maradona.

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