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Al Jazira edge Nasaf 4-1 to secure leadership of AFC Group

The Abu Dhabi side Al Jazira secured the leadership of their AFC Champions League 2012 Group “A” following their 4-1 win over the Uzbek team Nasaf Qarshi in their fifth round game held tonight at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The Brazilian striker Ricardo Oliveira scored a hat trick in the 14th, 33rd and 40th minutes to raise his tally to six goals in the Asian Championship. The winners raised their balance to 13 points while Nasaf remain with a single point that put them at the bottom of the ladder. Al Jazira are five points ahead of their chasing Iranian squad Esteghlal and they have guaranteed to play in the knock out stage at home against second-placed team of the third group, either Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia or Sepahan from Iran.

The two teams made a strong performance in the opening minutes. Nasaf’s players tried their best to reach Al Jazira’s goal, but the hosts were the first to score taking the lead with an early goal via Brazilian striker Bare only five minutes from the start following an organized attack. Delgado switched the ball from the right flank for Lucas Neil to pass it for Bare who slammed it home giving the home team a 1-0 lead.

The match referee awarded the hosts a penalty kick when the Uzbek defender Malseek touched the ball inside the box and Oliveira made no mistake to make it 2-0 nine minutes later and he added the third goal in the 33rd minute off Delgado’s lovely pass.

Al Jazira took full control of the match and the referee awarded them a second penalty following a rough play from Nasaf’s goalkeeper against Bare for Oliveira to slam it home making it 4-0 four minutes before the end of the first half which ended with a 4-0 win for the hosts.

At the beginning of the second session, Al Jazira’s coach Caio Junior brought in Sultan Bargash and Ali Mabkhoot to replace Ibrahima Diaky and Bare who suffered a nose bleeding earlier before the breather.

Nasaf’s performance improved a little bit to score their first goal in the 69th minute through Shomurodov.

Junior made his last substitution pulling off Khalid Sabeel bringing in Salim Masaud in the 71st minute. Most of the work was concentrated afterwards on the midfield zone without any danger on both goals till the end of the game.