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Ajman crowned Etisalat Cup Champions with 2-1 win over Al Jazira

It was a triumph of the underdogs on Tuesday night as Ajman became the fifth team to win the Etisalat Cup in as many years, defeating firm favourites Al Jazira 2-1. The Abu Dhabi giants took an early lead through Ricardo Oliveira but Ajman’s exceptional team spirit shone through as they staged a comeback with goals from Founeke Sy and Boris Kabi to lift the 2012-2013 Etisalat Cup. Ajman, who sit 10th in the Etisalat Pro League, had lost to Al Jazira previously in the 2009-2010 Etisalat Cup final, but this year it was the Oranges’ turn to celebrate a stunning success.

Kicking off at 7:40pm, the game got underway with a fantastic atmosphere created by both sets of fans to befit the occasion. Ajman began brightly and registered the first shot of the game in the 4th minute as Driss Fettouhi forced an early save from Ali Khaseif, but there was not enough power in the Moroccan midfielder’s shot to trouble Al Jazira’s goalkeeper. Two minutes later Al Jazira showed their experience of competing in cup finals as they cruised into an early lead. A well-weighted pass from central midfield found Abdulla Qasem on the right, who crossed perfectly for the incoming Ricardo Oliveira to score a classic poacher’s goal to put Al Jazira 1-0 up in the 6th minute. The goal was Oliveira’s 11th in the Etisalat Cup this year, pulling him ahead of Ajman’s Founeke Sy on 10 in the competition’s scoring charts. Ajman were not overawed by the occasion and offered attacking threats in the form of several dangerous corners in quick succession, but it was Al Jazira who came closest to scoring again in the 17th minute as Ali Mabkhout found himself in a great position, but the young Emirati striker elected to slide the ball across the face of goal instead of shooting, and Ricardo Oliveira mistimed his run and was unable to convert.

In the 22nd minute some real magic was sparkled on the Cup Final as Ajman demonstrated some football that fairytales are made of. Omani midfielder Fawzi Bashir whipped in a cross from the right and the Malian striker Founeke Sy scored with an incredible overhead bicycle kick to level the scores at 1-1. Not only was it an equaliser for his Ajman side, but it restored equilibrium at the top of the Etisalat Cup scorers’ chart as well. And in the 34th minute the fairytale continued as Ajman stormed into a 2-1 lead, with captain Boris Kabi burying a powerful header to the left of Ali Khaseif after a cross from the right by Ahmed Al Yassi, sparking a backflipping celebration from the big Ivorian. The team in orange almost made it three when Founeke Sy found himself in a great position in the 41st minute, but Ali Khaseif stayed strong to turn his effort behind for a corner. A minute later Ali Mabkhout missed a gilt-edged chance to equalise just before the break when he chipped the keeper but missed the target, and right before the stroke of half time Ali Khaseif did well to smother Boris Kabi’s effort before Ricardo Oliveira hit a belter which crashed back off the crossbar at the other end, but Ajman maintained their advantage at the pause.

Five minutes after the restart Al Jazira wasted another good chance, in a reverse of one of their first-half opportunities. This time it was Ricardo Oliveira who elected to pass when shooting would probably have been the better option, as his ball across the face of goal was cut out by Ajman’s defense before it could reach Ali Mabkhout. Luis Milla, in search of his first silverware as head coach of Al Jazira, knew that a change needed to be made as he brought on the powerful Emirati midfielder Khamis Esmail in place of Subait Khater in the 57th minute, with Diaky entering the field of play to replace Sultan Barghash moments later. Abdulwahab Abdulkader made his first Ajman substitution in the 70th minute, bringing off Jasem Ali for Saeed Al Kas, before Al Jazira made their third and final change a minute later as Fernandinho came on for Matias Delgado. The pace of the game was disrupted by the spate of substitutions, coupled with the conditions of a humid May night at the Zabeel Stadium in Dubai, and Ajman were content to sit back and defend their slender lead as Al Jazira tried to pile on the pressure to find an equaliser. In the 80th minute a fluid give-and-go between Fernandinho and Diaky was almost finished off by the Brazilian, but he dragged his shot wide of the far post. In the 84th minute Boris Kabi and Founeke Sy almost got their combination right up front but were eventually denied by Khamis Esmail and Ali Khaseif, Seconds later a free kick delivered by Ahmed Al Yassi was met by the head of Saeed Al Kas but the substitute headed over as Ajman tried to secure their lead, and Ajman’s dogged determination in defense was enough to see out the 2-1 win in normal time and record an historic Etisalat Cup win for the club.