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Khamis wonderstrike earns 1-1 draw for Al Jazira against Al Shabab Riyadh

A wonderstrike from Khamis Esmail earned Al Jazira a point at home against Al Shabab Riyadh from Saudi Arabia to get them off the mark in their second AFC Champions League match in Group A. Al Jazira began the game in positive fashion, with captain Diaky inspiring a promising attack in the opening three minutes. Khamis Esmail called Al Shabab’s goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah into action minutes later with a long-range effort, which the stopper was able to catch at an awkward angle. Both teams continued to threaten and Al Jazira should have taken the lead in the 36th minute when Ricardo Oliveira’s pass found Luiz Fernando, who twisted and turned in the box but put his shot just wide of the left-hand post. Three minutes later Al Jazira goalkeeper Ali Khaseif suffered a scare as he came rushing a long way off his line too hastily, and Al Shabab striker Sebastian Tagliabue got to the ball ahead of him but his shot was weak and left-back Abdulla Mousa was able to cover and clear. However, five minutes later Khaseif wasn’t so fortunate as once again he charged out of his goal but was beaten to the ball by Tagliabue, whose cross found Hassan Muath Fallatah. The Saudi Arabian player calmly slotted the ball into the unguarded net to give his visiting Al Shabab side a 1-0 lead in the 44th minute, right before the half-time break.

Five minutes after the restart Al Jazira were dangerously close to going 2-0 down, as Ali Khaseif was yet again in an advanced position facing up to Tagliabue, but the Argentine Al Shabab Riyadh striker’s shot hit the right-hand post and rebounded to safety. Al Jazira were working hard but struggling to find a way through Al Shabab’s sturdy defense, and it took something special to get the UAE side back on level terms. National team midfielder Khamis Esmail collected the ball 35 yards out from goal and launched a superbly-struck right-footed shot from distance, beating Waleed Abdullah between the Al Shabab sticks and equalising for Al Jazira at 1-1 in the 55th minute. A number of substitutions followed for each side, with both teams being forced to withdraw influential players through injury as Tagliabue came off for Al Shabab and Khamis Esmail had to be replaced for Al Jazira. In the 77th minute Ricardo Oliveira attempted to replicate his teammate’s equalising goal as he struck a powerful shot from long range, but it flew just wide as Al Jazira continued to pursue a winner. Their cause was not helped as six minutes from time they were reduced to ten men, with Matias Delgado being shown red for a mistimed tackle. Seconds later, undeterred by the disadvantage in numbers, Abdulla Mousa and Fernandinho stormed forward and combined well in attack but the Brazilian couldn’t finish and saw his shot fly off target. Diaky could’ve won it for Al Jazira in injury time but shot straight at Waleed Abdullah, and the game ended 1-1.