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Ten-man Al Shabab fight back to draw 2-2 at Ajman

On a night dominated by proceedings in Al Ain, another interesting tie took place at Ajman’s Rashid bin Saeed Stadium as they hosted Champions League challengers Al Shabab. A brace from Boris Kabi had Ajman believing they would end ten-man Al Shabab’s impressive unbeaten run in the League, but the away side never gave up and equalised through Edgar in the 4th minute of stoppage time for a 2-2 draw. The shared points see Al Shabab remain 5th on 30 points, whilst Ajman stay 11th on 16 points.

Ajman went ahead in the 11th minute as Boris Kabi rose highest to a corner and headed into the back of the net to give the home side a 1-0 lead. Driss Fettouhi went close to doubling the advantage less than ten minutes later, but Al Shabab quickly tried to hit back and Edgar Da Silva forced Ajman’s goalkeeper Yousif Abdulla into a flying save to prevent an equaliser for the visitors. Al Shabab’s mountain to climb was made even greater when they were reduced to 10 men in the 43rd minute, as the referee sent Sami Anbar off for his second bookable offence. Al Shabab tried to end the half on a positive as Luiz Alves launched a powerful free kick at goal in stoppage time, but Yousif Abdulla flew through the air to tip it over the bar and maintain his side’s 1-0 lead at the break.

In the second half the ten men of Al Shabab went in desperate search of an equaliser, and Edgar Da Silva went agonisingly close with a header that just shaved the left-hand post in the 55th minute, and the visitors continued to attack as they tried to get back on level pegging. However, it was the hosts who played to their one-man advantage, doubling their lead through Boris Kabi once again in the 63rd minute. The Ivorian striker notched his 15th goal of the season as he got on the end of an assist from Founeke Sy, finishing right-footed to claim his brace and put Ajman 2-0 up. But Al Shabab’s ten men did not roll over and in the 73rd minute they fought back through Edgar Da Silva, who finally made one of his many efforts count. The Brazilian got his head on the end of a cross from the left by Haydarov Azizbek, scoring his 11th of the season to get his team back in it at 2-1. Substitutions from both sides disrupted the flow of play in the second half, but Al Shabab’s never-say-die attitude paid off as they fought back to share the spoils in the 4th and final minute of stoppage time at the end of the game, with Edgar Da Silva getting his second of the game to take a point from the game.