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Dibba in danger after 2-0 defeat at Al Shabab

Dibba Al Fujairah remain in the relegation zone after losing 2-0 at Al Shabab’s Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium on Saturday evening, giving them just three Etisalat Pro League games to save their place in the League. The result, courtesy of goals from Mahmood Qassim and Ciel, gives Al Shabab 36 points in 6th place, whilst Dibba Al Fujairah remain second from bottom on 14.

Dibba Al Fujairah began the encounter with the look of a side desperate to survive, as Alex Medeiros saw his 3rd-minute effort hit the post in an early attack. This was not, however, a sign of how things were to continue as the remainder of the first half saw little in the way of cutting-edge chances, with Walid Abbas marshaling the Al Shabab defense to good effect and the home strikers failing to threaten at the other end. In the 27th minute Dibba Al Fujairah’s Luiz Fernando curled a free kick on target from long range, but Al Shabab goalkeeper Salem Abdulla was not troubled and caught the effort easily. Two minutes before the break, Al Shabab finally showed a glimpse of what they are capable going forward as Ciel and Dawood Ali combined well down the left to set up a shooting opportunity for Hassan Ibrahim, but the midfielder was just wide of the target with his effort and the teams went in scoreless at half time.

After a relatively quiet opening forty-five, Al Shabab went close to taking the lead just a minute after the restart as striker Abdulla Hassan chipped the goalkeeper but his effort crept inches wide. Dibba Al Fujairah fashioned a decent chance in the 56th minute as Luiz Fernando lofted a free kick into the area and Al Shabab goalkeeper Salem Abdulla scrambled across his line to see Jasim Al Nuaimi’s header drift just wide of the target. Three minutes later Brazilian striker Ciel shot into the side netting from a very tight angle on the right as the hosts tried to get ahead, and finally they made the breakthrough in the 66th minute. A cross from Ciel came in from the right, which was headed on by Brazilian compatriot Edgar to set Nasser Masood up for a shot. The second half substitute’s effort was parried by Dibba Al Fujairah goalkeeper Mohamed Al Rowaihy, but only as far as Mahmood Qassim, who was on hand to follow up and convert the rebound to make it 1-0 to Al Shabab. In the 82nd minute Al Shabab looked certain to double their lead as Ciel streamed forward with the ball at his feet and Edgar up with him in support, but the Brazilian got his square ball all wrong and picked out a Dibba defender as opposed to his teammate, and the chance was lost. In the 90th minute Al Shabab doubled their lead, exploiting a defensive error by Dibba Al Fujairah which allowed Nasser Masood to cross for Ciel to head home his 9th League goal of the season and giving Al Shabab a 2-0 win.