KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Al Jazira proved to be gracious hosts to Al Ain in the final of the UAE President’s Cup at the Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Friday. The ADNOC Pro League champions added another piece of silverware with a 4-1 victory over Al Jazira in the last final of the season.
Al Jazira came up short in their bid to win the cup that could have allowed them entry to the Asian Champions League. The result would have hurt the hosts more, considering the fact that they took the early lead through Fekir. Their inherent weakness in defence quickly showed up and a relentless Ainawi squad punished them hard with star playmaker Soufiane Rahimi scoring a double to spark the comeback. Abdoul Traore and Palacios completed the tally.
It was always going to be a tall order for Al Jazira who finished fourth in the domestic league. They were the most profligate side among the top five clubs in the goals conceded column. And when they went up early in the finale, they continued to play up and paid the price immediately. Incidentally, it was Al Jazira who had got the better of Al Ain in the previous season. Revenge was sweet for the white-and-purple outfit.
After a sedate start for the first 10 minutes, a foul outside Al Ain’s penalty box got Al Jazira the first free-kick of the game, and Nabil Fekir sent in a low volley under the jumping wall to put the hosts ahead in the 12th minute.
Three minutes later, a counter-attack sent Rahimi in the clear from the half line, and he charged down for the easiest of an equaliser.
Soon after the play resumed, Rahimi went down behind an action developing, claiming to be hit by a wild swipe of his marksman, which immediately led to a flare-up between both camps. While the referee had none of it, Al Jazira probably got worked up so much that Al Ain quickly got a copy of the first goal. The first ball they got was sent over the advanced defence line of Jazira to Rahimi, who delivered with precision once again to put Al Ain in the lead.
Al Jazira’s centre-backs got exposed again as Al Ain captain Kodjo Laba got a clear pass right in front of the goal, the forward chose to feed an onrushing Kaku, who tried to be clever with a deft placement bid. He beat Ali Khaseif, but the slow travelling ball was cleared before the line by Simon Banak.
Rahimi toying with the defence by switching flanks at will, it was Abdoul Traore in the 38th minute who showed Kaku how it needed to be done. Receiving a back pass from the goal line, he took a side-step and sent in a left-footed volley so ferocious that Khaseif’s palms were left stinging as the ball went in for a 3-1 advantage.
It was an eventful first half with Al Jazira also getting a counter- attack goal in the last minute of regulation play, but it was disallowed. A cross came in from the right, and Fekir rose to head the ball in, but the Video Assistant Referee ruled him offside.
Despite the 3-1 start, Al Jazira tried their full-press approach and lived dangerously. Al Ain made a few threatening moves while manager Vladimir Ivic also got in fresh legs as soon as the 65th minute to keep up the pressure. This included the attacking captain Laba, too. And Rahimi, the man of the match, was taken the full distance of the game. Almost the whole second half was all about yellow cards.
There was one final flourish left, though. As the match stepped into the first minute of injury time, goalkeeper Khaled Eissa’s kick started another simple and quick counter, the ball crossed in from the right wing to Palacious, who headed the ball in to seal a second title of the season.