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Al Ahli 1-1 Emirates: Last-gasp leveller stuns Al Ahli

Al Ahli conceded a late equaliser to share the spoils with Emirates in a 1-1 draw, having controlled their Round Two UAE League Cup match for the majority of the game. Ciel had put Al Ahli into a first-half lead but Khaled Khamis swooped to net a leveller in injury time to ensure Emirates came away with a point.

At a sandstorm-swept Al Maktoum Stadium – the rescheduled venue for the match due to ongoing renovation works at Al Ahli’s Rashid Stadium in preparation for hosting the FIFA U17 World Cup – Al Ahli dominated proceedings for the opening twenty minutes and soon made their advantage count as Ciel made a 21st-minute breakthrough. A long punt upfield from goalkeeper Saif Yousif was headed on by Grafite for compatriot Ciel to run onto, and the Brazilian signing from Al Shabab struck across the face of goal to make it 1-0. Hugo Viana almost made it a second for the home side with a curling free kick from distance, whilst Ciel’s former Al Shabab teammate Luiz Henrique proved to be Emirates’ biggest threat going forward. In the 34th minute Henrique did well to set up the Argentinian striker German Gustavo Herrera, but he blazed over from close range. In the 41st minute Ciel thought he had his second when he controlled well and fired a measured chip against the underside of the crossbar, but unfortunately for the lively Brazilian his effort bounced down just outside the goal line and was scrambled away to safety, leaving Al Ahli with just a one-goal edge at half time.

The second half began in a similar fashion as Al Ahli streamed forward and Grafite crafted an excellent opening for Luis Jiminez, but the Chilean-Palestinian saw his right-footed shot fly wildly off the target. Luiz Henrique continued to look the most alert at the other end of the pitch but the Emirates forward could do little to trouble Saif Yousif. In difficult weather conditions, the pace of the second half lulled considerably as neither side could muster a noteworthy chance until a late surge forward by Luis Jiminez was pulled back for Amer Mubarak to blaze over the crossbar with five minutes remaining. There was still time for some late drama as Ciel raced clear only to see his effort blocked on the line by Emirates defender Masoud Sulaiman, with the referee waving away Al Ahli’s penalty claims. Then, against the run of play in the first minute of injury time, Al Ahli’s defense switched off and were immediately punished as they failed to deal with a ball in the box and Khaled Khamis poked home an Emirates equaliser from close range, to grab a draw right at the death.