Football: Diop brace fires Ahli to Arabian Gulf Cup title

Top Stories

Football: Diop brace fires Ahli to Arabian Gulf Cup title
Senegalese frontman Makhete Diop (left) scored a brace to finish the competition with eight goals.

Dubai - Al Shabab suffer 2-0 defeat in final

By James Jose

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram

Published: Sat 1 Apr 2017, 10:16 PM

Last updated: Sun 2 Apr 2017, 12:19 AM

This wasn't an audition and Cosmin Olaroiu probably doesn't need to give one. But if the Arabian Gulf Cup final at the Al Maktoum Stadium was indeed one, the UAE's top football bosses don't have to look too far for their man, to fill the seat vacated by Mahdi Ali.
The present Al Ahli coach's body of work speaks for itself. Seven titles with the Red Knights, the latest of which arrived freshly-minted on Saturday night - the Arabian Gulf Cup - after a 2-0 verdict over Al Shabab.
It also took the burly Romanian's tally to an overall 10 pieces of silverware in the UAE after he had won three with Al Ain.
It was Al Ahli's second Cup title after they had earlier won it in the 2013-14. And it came through a double from Senegalese frontman Makhete Diop, who ended the competition with eight goals.
For Al Shabab, it was the same fate they had suffered in the 2011-12 season, where they had gone down to Al Ahli on penalties. This was their only chance of silverware this season and they will return to Mamzar empty-handed.
The Al Ahli faithful had put up a banner which read: Different year, Different trophy: Same champion."
Indeed it was and Al Ahli were hardly stretched by their rivals from across the road in Mamzar. The Red Knights could afford to cruise in third gear, with still a lot left in the tank. Their dominance was such that the Al Quasis club could dictate how they wanted to play and had all their bases covered.
Al Shabab would rue the fact that they couldn't bring anything new to the table to trouble the Red Knights, and although the second half was a improvement on the first, they just couldn't unlock that dogged Al Ahli backline.
Al Ahli's first foray was just three minutes in but it was an ambitious try, if anything, with Abdulaziz Sanqour coming up with a wayward shot. The Red Knights were not made to wait though with Diop putting them well on their way two minutes later.
Everton Ribeiro sent a crisp through and Diop went unchallenged from the right, drew the goalkeeper Salem Abdulla out before firing it into the far corner of the net. The Senegalese then went on all fours to imitate a panther, to celebrate his goal.
Al Ahli could have doubled the lead on 18 minutes with Diop setting things in motion from the right and then sending one across goal. But Ahmed Khalil's header from close range hit the near post.
At the other end, goalkeeper Majed Naser was called in to make some regulation saves and none of them were dangerous enough to trouble the shot stopper.
Khalil asked questions with a freekick on 37 minutes, but his attempt from 30 metres was collected safely by Salem Abdulla.
With two minutes left in the half, Diop set up Ribeiro, who surged ahead and had a crack at it, but Salem Abdulla did well to thwart it. And in stoppage time, Khalil's grounder just shaved the left post.
Diop thought he had got his second on the hour when he won the battle of the headers with Salem Abdulla and slotted in. But it was ruled offside.
There was to be another chance eight minutes later after Diop, Ribeiro and Khalil broke away on a counter, but the Senegalese lacked the finishing touch.
But Diop was not to be denied a second as he played on to an Ismail Al Hammadi pass and tucked it in, to put the game to bed.
james@khaleejtimes.com


More news from