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Al Shaab 1-2 Al Jazira: Oliveira nets late winner

An acrobatic late equaliser by Abdullah Mousa and an injury time winner from Ricardo Oliveira earned Al Jazira all three points at Al Shaab on Sunday night in their Round One Arabian Gulf League clash at the Khaled bin Mohamed Stadium.

After a fairly even opening fifteen minutes, Al Shaab demonstrated a flash of brilliance to take the lead. Ahmed Eissa dispossessed Ali Mabkhout in midfield before going on a marauding run and unleashing a superb strike from outside the area. Al Jazira goalkeeper Ali Khaseif got a hand to the shot but the power behind it meant the UAE national team stopper couldn’t prevent the 18th-minute goal. In the 22nd minute new Moroccan signing Abdelaziz Barrada tried to hit back with a shot from distance but Mutaz Abdulla had his full body behind it in the Al Shaab goal. On the half-hour mark Luis Milla was forced to make a change as defender Musallem Fayez came off injured, to be replaced by Juma Abdulla. And in injury time of the first half, Al Shaab had a good chance to extend their lead when they were awarded a free kick on the edge of the D after Yaqoub Al Hosani brought down Michael Laurent Ndri. Summer signing Julius Wobay stepped up to take the set piece but the Sierra Leone striker went for placement over power, getting his shot on target but without enough strength behind it to trouble Ali Khaseif.

As Al Jazira went in search of an equaliser in the second half, Nelson Valdez managed to work the Al Shaab goalkeeper in the 54th minute as he hit a left-footed shot on the turn. After an hour Luis Milla made another change, bringing off Yaqoub Al Hosani for Yaser Matar, as Ricardo Oliveira, Ali Mabkhout and Nelson Valdez all made roads forward but couldn’t find a way through. It took until the 81st minute for Al Jazira to level the scores, and they did it in fine fashion as Abdullah Mousa reacted acrobatically in the area to convert from a corner. As the fourth official signaled for six minutes of stoppage time at the end of the game, Al Jazira sensed they could nick a winner, and that is exactly what they did. Nelson Valdez showed strength to round the goalkeeper, cutting back for Ali Mabkhout whose shot was blocked, but captain Ricardo Oliveira was in place to follow up and hammer home to make it 2-1.