Shabab Al Ahli down Khorfakkan, Al Jazira win

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Goals from Omar Abdulrahman, Guilherme da Silva, and Yahya Al Ghassani handed Shabab Al Ahli a solid 3-1 win over Khorfakkan in matchweek 13 of the ADNOC Pro League at Rashid Stadium on Tuesday.

In another match, Al Jazira defeated Al Wasl 3-2. With the victory, Al Jazira consolidated their position at the fifth spot in the standings.

They have 23 points from 13 games with seven wins, two draws and four losses. The competition is so fierce that four teams are separated by just one point, three being tied on 23 while Al Wahda managing the lead of one point to occupy the second spot and Al Ain leading with 30 points.

Earlier, returning from an injury setback, Abdulrahman netted his first league goal in 668 days when Khorfakkan goalkeeper Abdalla Yousif failed to control the ball after a pass from defender Abdalla El Refaei, allowing the 30-year-old midfielder to score in the empty net.

Abdulrahman had last scored for Al Jazira against Al Ain in March 2020.

Khorfakkan winger Jassim Yaqoob came close to equalising, but his powerful right-footed shot sailed over the crossbar, and El Refaei then headed agonizingly close just after the half-hour mark.

Ten minutes after the break, the hosts restored parity when Shabab Al Ahli defender Walid Abbas inadvertedly sent Ahmed Suliman's cross into his own net.

Da Silva put Shabab Al Ahli in the lead again in the 58th minute when Bader Nasser's pass found the Brazilian forward, who slotted home on the turn to make it 2-1.

Al Ghassani cemented his side's lead in the 90th minute after a quick break saw Harib Suhail square for the former Al Wahda man, leaving him with the simplest of tasks to tap into the empty net and seal the victory.

Meanwhile, the UAE Pro League announced on Monday the dates of the Pro League Cup semi-finals, taking place in March 2022.

The first leg of the semi-final will be held on March 1, as Shabab Al Ahli clash with Al Wahda at 17:30, while Al Jazira host Al Ain at 20:00.

While the second leg will be held on March 8 when Al Wahda welcome Shabab Al Ahli at 17:45, whereas Al Ain will host Al Jazira in the other semi-final match at 20:15.

The Pro League also announced the dates of the mini-league to decide the positions from the fifth to the eighth.

The first round will be held on Jan.22, with two matches, the first one will be between Ittihad Kalba and Al Wasl at 17:00, then Al Nasr will host Ajman at 19:30.

The second round will take place on Jan.29, with Al Wasl facing Ajman at 17:15, while Al Nasr take on Ittihad Kalba at 19:45.

The final round of this league will be held on March 25, 2022, as Ittihad Kalba welcome Ajman at 17:45, whereas Al Wasl will host Al Nasr at 20:15 on the same day.

Meanwhile, the Disciplinary Committee of the UAE FA held its meeting on Tuesday, headed by Saeed Al Houti, with the participation of Hamdan Al-Zayoudi, Vice Chairman of the Committee, Hassan Al-Shaibani, Abdullah Al-Hammadi and Salman Al-Taweel, members of the Committee, and Shadi Medhat as reporter.

The committee reviewed the match observer’s report and the pictures attached to it of the facts that took place in the match between Sharjah and Al Ain club in the ADNOC Professional League competition.

The committee decided to issue a warning to Al Ain Club and fine it eighty thousand dirhams for violating the regulations during and after the match for four violations, and gave a warning to Sharjah and a fine of one hundred thousand dirhams for violating the regulations during and after the match for five violations).

The disciplinary committee punished Ajman Club in a League Cup competition match with a warning and penalty for violating the match operations protocol for the entrance of a member of its technical staff after the time specified for that, and a fine of Dhs.30,000 was imposed on Bani Yas Club for its players to obtain six cards per match in the U-21 cannot be guaranteed to be secured or error-free.