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Al Shabab draw 1-1 with Ajman to keep leadership of second Group

 

Al Shabab, defending champions of the Etisalat Cup, retained their leadership of the second group following their 1-1 draw with Ajman in the sixth round game played today at Rashid Bin Saeed Stadium in Ajman. The visitors raised their balance to 13 points to stay on top of the ladder, two points ahead of second-placed Ajman who are sitting in the 2nd position with 11 points but Al Shabab may lose leadership if Al Ahli beat Al Nasr in today's game.

Ajman were the better side but they were unlucky to lose many scoring chances especially Waleed Mohammad's header in the 13th minute that hit the cross bar and another from Ali Khamis rebounded off the cross bar in the 20th minute.

Julio Cesar put Al Ahli into the lead in the 33rd minute off a counter attack. He received the ball from Abdullah Darweesh, rebounded up two defenders and sent a strong volley for the goalkeeper to save brilliantly but the ball returned again to Cesar who drive it home into the empty net.

Ajman continued their attacking performance after the break but lost a handful of opportunities while Al Shabab spoiled some of their rivals' dangerous attacks. Senegalese Ibrahima Tore, top scorer of the competition, succeeded in leveling the score after two successive attempts from Waleed Mohammad and Ali Khamis.

The two teams exerted some good efforts to score more goals but they failed despite of the number of substitutions brought in by the two coaches Bonamego of Al Shabab and Abdul Wahab Abdul Gadir of Ajman to strengthen the front line. Abdulla Al Jamhi came close to score the winner for Ajman had not Al Shabab's defender Essa Mohammad cleared the ball before it crosses the goal line minutes before the final whistle.