Moatasem Abdullah (Dubai)
Al-Wasl won the “ADNOC Professional League” shield, after defeating its guest, Shabab Al-Ahly, 3-0, in the “derby” match that brought together the two teams, at Zabeel Stadium in “Round 25”, and was officiated by a Mexican refereeing team, led by Cesar Ramos, amid a crowd in attendance. From the “yellow” and “red” fans.
The “Yellow” hat-trick was scored by the Swiss Haris Seferovic in the 49th minute, the “brilliant” Fabio Lima in the 58th minute, and the “substitute” Adama Diallo in the 97th minute, raising the “Emperor” score to 61 points, and succeeded in clinching the title with two rounds to go. In contrast, “Al-Fursan” remained in the “runner-up” position with 52 points.
The victory over the “Knights” was the fourth in a row for the “Emperor” in direct confrontations in the competitions of the current season 2023-2024, after the first round match in the league 2-1 at “Rashid Stadium”, and the two quarter-final matches of the “Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank” Cup 3 -2 at Shabab Al-Ahly Stadium, and 3-0 at “Zabeel Stadium”, before the most important victory in the “Clinching Shield” match 3-0 at “Zabeel Stadium”.
The “Emperor”, returning to embracing local titles for the first time in the current season 2023-2024, celebrated his victory in the most expensive tournament, “His Highness the President’s Cup,” at the expense of Al-Nasr 4-0 in the final, less than two weeks ago, before adding the “League Shield.” In a new “double” that brought back to the minds of fans the last coronation of the league and cup “double” in the 2006-2007 season.
Al-Wasl added to its record of achievements an eighth title at the “league” level, equaling its rival Shabab Al-Ahly in the runner-up of the clubs that won the most titles, the league seasons 1981-1982, 1982-1983, 1984-1985, 1987-1988, 1991-1992, and 1996. 1997, 2006-2007, and 2023-2024.
Al Wasl has two celebratory matches remaining against its host Al Ain on May 29, the “postponed from round 20”, and its neighbor Al Nasr in the “26 and final round” scheduled for next June 2 at Al Maktoum Stadium. On the other hand, the “Knights” will play their last match in the league against Hatta. “The Last” in two matches, the first on May 29 “postponed from Round 13”, and the second on June 2nd in “Round 26” and the last.
The coaches of both teams put all the “trump cards” in the starting lineup, and the Serbian squad, Milos, the “Emperor” coach, included: Khaled El-Sanani in goalkeeping, and the defense quartet of Alexis Perez, Seung Jong, Sofiane Bouftini, and Salem Al-Azizi, and in the middle, Fabio Lima, Nicolas Jimenez, Siaka, Malek Janair, and in the lead are the Swiss Harris and Ali Saleh.
On the other hand, the other Serbian squad, Marko Nikolic, the “Knights” coach, includes goalkeeper Hassan Hamza, and the defense quartet, Ahmed Abdullah Jamil, Bogdan Blanic, Renan Victor, and Badr Nasser, and in the middle are Saeed Ezzat Allah, Luca, Cartabia, and in front of them is the “trio” Igor Jesus. , Munis Dabour, and Yahya Al-Ghassani.
The first opportunity in the match came for Al Wasl, from Ali Saleh’s cross from the left side, which was cleared by goalkeeper Hassan Hamza, before the ball reached the head of striker Haris Seferovic in the tenth minute, followed by a second attempt from Haris’ left-handed shot from inside the penalty area that passed over the goal in the 15th minute. The same player returned to waste a second chance in a row from Lima’s pass, which put him in front of the goal, and he shot a ball that passed near the left post of Hassan Hamza’s goal in the 17th minute.
On the other hand, Khaled Al-Sanani, Al-Wasl’s goalkeeper, excelled in preventing Shabab Al-Ahly’s most dangerous chances, after he successfully blocked Igor Jesus’ header from a corner kick, causing the ball to touch the crossbar, before Al-Sanani returned again, and succeeded in blocking the second ball in the 19th minute.
Al-Wasl translated its advantage at the start of the second half, after its Swiss striker, Haris Seferovic, succeeded in opening the scoring in the 49th minute, after a distinguished assist by the “brilliant” Ali Saleh with a through pass through the middle of the defence, which was Harris’s fifth goal made by Ali Saleh in the league during the current season.
Fabio Lima did not give the “Knights” the opportunity to wake up, after he succeeded in adding the second goal, in his own way, with a shot with his left hand from outside the penalty area, which landed in the right corner of goalkeeper Hassan Hamza in the 58th minute, which was Lima’s 16th goal in the league with a difference of one goal. Behind the Syrian Omar Kharbin, Al-Wahda’s leading striker.
Nikolic, the “Knights” coach, sought to adjust his team’s attacking situation, when he brought in the duo Harib Abdullah and Guilherme da Silva instead of Cartabia and Badr Nasser in the 63rd minute.
Jimenez almost increased Al-Wasl’s lead with the third goal in the 65th minute, after a smart ball from Ali Saleh, which Jimenez converted to a header, and Hassan Hamza, Shabab Al-Ahly’s goalkeeper, narrowly blocked it for the corner.
The continuous offensive attempts of Shabab Al-Ahly, in the last part of the match, did not help in changing the opponent’s superiority, after the “substitute” Adama Diallo succeeded in confirming the superiority of “The Emperor” with the third goal from a counterattack in the 97th minute.
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