Pablo Repetto is sure to always remember this first taste of football on UAE soil.
On a brutally-humid evening at Al Nahyan Stadium during which 90 minutes spent in a sauna would have produced less perspiration, the freshly-installed Bani Yas boss saw his charges twice give up the lead before collapsing at the death to lose 4-3 to Al Wahda.
As far as friendly run-outs go, the taxing conditions made true insights hard to gleam for the 42-year-old who took Ecuadorian minnows Independiente del Valle all the way to a valiant loss during last month’s Copa Libertadores showpiece.
He would have noted the leadership of Australia midfielder Mark Milligan and the promise of teenage winger Suhail Al Noubi, while also realising the strength of the opposition who must be toppled to take the Sky Blues back to the top table.
Star summer buy Balasz Dszudzsak gave the partisan crowd who had braved the August heat what they wanted when he cut inside to slot effortlessly into the bottom corner for Wahda’s first equaliser just before half-time.
Reserve playmaker Suhail Al Mansouri rose from the substitutes’ bench to stylishly dance clear and make it 3-3 on 84 minutes for last term’s third-placed finishers in the Arabian Gulf League, before deftly teeing up forward Mohammed Rashid to stroke in the winner two minutes from time.
Repetto enjoyed positive results during the club’s European training camp and will be pleased with the attacking intent exhibited ahead of September 8’s delayed competitive bow in the Arabian Gulf Cup at Dibba Al Fujairah.
For opposite number Javier Aguirre, the meek concession of Joaquin Larrivey’s lobbed opener would have caused concerns about the ease in which the Argentine striker found space between the centre-backs. But Dzsudzsak’s skimmer and veteran Ismail Matar’s penalty gave his charges a half-time lead.
Hulking Algeria forward Ishak Belfodil then rose from the sidelines to tee up Suhail Al Noubi’s thunderous half-volley into the roof of the goal and Darwish Mohammed’s tap-in to make it 3-2 to Bani.
With defeat looking likely, the AG Cup holders found another gear to receive a welcome boost prior to their defence beginning on Saturday with another all-Abu Dhabi clash at Al Jazira.
