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Al Shabab beat Emirates 4-1

The UAE Emirates team stepped downward to take third place in group D with three points after being stunned 4-1 by Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia in the 2011 AFC Champions League third round match played on Wednesday night April 6 at Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh. The winners moved one step ahead to remain as runners-up on five points, two behind leaders Zob Ahan of Iran who beat Al-Rayan of Qatar 3-1 in the same day to raise their tally to 7 points that see them on top of the table. The Qatari side has collected one point so far after losing two games to stay at the bottom of the table.

The Emirates' Moroccan striker Nabil Al Daoudi surprised the home squad when he gave his team the lead only five minutes into the match. Daoudi was to score his team's second goal four minutes later when Kareem Karkar"s neat through pass sent  him clear  but Al Shabab's custodian Waleed Abdullah denied him with a brilliant save. Emirates' keeper Ahmad Al Shaji preserved their lead after saving the hosts' dangerous attack when Kieta's lovely ball freed his teammate Nasser Al Shamrani with only the goalie to beat, but Shaji spoiled his attempt in the 20th minute. The winners came close to level the score when Hassan Muaz switched the ball from the right flank in the six-yard area  but Al Shamran's fierce volley missed the target before Al Hassan Keita netted the equalizer five minutes into first-half stoppage time off a corner kick sent by Camacho.

Keita helped his team to go in front and take the lead adding the second goal only five minutes after the break when he headed home Zaid Al Mowalad's cross ball. Kieta squandered a golden sitter afterwards when goalkeeper Al Shaji tipped his fierce shot onto the cross bar.

The winners put more pressure on the visiting team's defense in the last twenty minutes and they came close to increase their tally in a number of occasions. Their efforts yielded the third goal via Hassan Muaz in the 74th minute who capitalized on Keita's cross inside the box and Abdullah Shuhail made it 4-1 with five minutes to go when he faced Emirates' goalie before driving the ball home. Al Shabab's defender Massad Nada from Kuwait denied the visitors to score their second goal when he cleared the ball off the line in the dying moments to reserve his team's 4-1 victory.