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Al Ahli win their tenth UAE President Cup after defeating Al Nasr 2-1 in the final.
The Emirati side came into this looking to get their revenge following last month’s cup defeat. Meanwhile, Shabab Al Ahli who sealed third spot in the Arabian Gulf League table eye their third trophy of the season.
A lively start from both sides in search of the opener. Al Ahli dominated the early exchanges of the game but it was Al Nasr striker Sebastian Tagliabue with the first real opportunity to test Majed Naser in goal, but the 37-year-old stayed big to deny the Argentinian.
Despite both goalkeepers going through the entire tournament with clean sheets, the opening goal came from a controversial penalty. Yaqoub Hassan’s challenge on Carlos Eduardo looked soft at first but the Brazillian looked in some pain which led to referee Al Junaibi having another look at the incident on the monitor.
It didn’t take long till he pointed to the spot. Despite protests from Al Nasr who were not happy, Federico Cartabia stepped up and slotted the ball into the corner to break the deadlock before half time.
Al Nasr came into the second half looking much better but failed to penetrate the Al Ahli defence who stood firm. Tagliabue had the best chance but headed Diaa Saba’s cross over the bar from close range. A chance that went begging for the 36-year-old.
The pressure kept mounting from Ruben Diaz’s side and they were rewarded for their efforts in the 78th minute. Mahmound Khamsis’s corner was headed on by Mohammed Ayed onto the talisman Mehdi Abied who controlled comfortably before slotting home. Al Ahli were claiming handball against the Algerian but the goal stood.
A game full of twist and turns had another dramatic end with just minutes left to play. Ayed brought down Eduardo and another penalty was awarded. The referee once again confirmed with the monitor to make sure, but the penalty was given.
Having scored the opener, Cartabia drilled the second into the right corner to seal a dramatic win for the Red Knights who beat Al Nasr for the fourth time in all competitions. Devastation for the Blues who gave it their all but were left short by a controversial decision late on.
The return of Mehdi Abied has lifted Al Ahli and seen a drastic change in a short period of time. A third placed finish in the AGL to consolidate Champions League spot and have now completing the treble.
Shabab Al Ahli
