Wahda deny Jazira to hold out for a draw

Published: Thu 5 Nov 2015, 11:51 PM

Al Jazira perennial difficulties were back to the fore again as Al Wahda staged a fine rally to hold out for a 2-2 draw in the Arabian Gulf Cup on Wednesday night.
Montenegro international Mirko Vucinic had fired a brace but Sebastian Tagliabue and Suhail Al Mansoori nullified that after Al Jazira had taken the lead twice at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium. Both teams were without a bulk of their first choice players, who were preparing for UAE's friendly against Turkmenistan ahead of the twin World Cup qualifiers against Timor-Leste and Malaysia.
Hosts Al Jazira were without goalkeeper Ali Khaseif, striker Ali Ahmed Mabkhout, defender Fares Juma and Ahmed Al Atta, while Al Wahda were missing Amer Omar and Mohamed Alakberi. Jorge Valdivia complained of a slight knee pain and missed the game. The Chilean international will also be away as he prepares for the World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Uruguay.
Nevertheless, Al Wahda started brightly and two attempts inside the opening 20 minutes through Mohamed Al Menhali and Sultan Saif. Al Menhali saw his effort cleared by the defence on five minutes, while Al Jazira goalkeeper Khalid Al Senani pulled off a save after Ismail Matar had set it up for Saif, on 19 minutes. Al Jazira slowly began to find their feet in the game and had two opportunities with Jefferson Farfan at the forefront. The Peruvian international did a solo from the right before having a crack at it but the former Schalke player drilled it over the cross bar in the 23rd minute. Seven minutes later, the 30-year-old squared it up from the right by a sliding Thiago Neves couldn't get to it.
Al Wahda's Denilson then saw his header from close range, agonisingly go over, from a corner. And they has reason to feel aggrieved after Al Jazira were awarded a penalty, with six minutes left in the half. Farfan made a desperate bid to reach after a ball from the middle even as goalkeeper Ali Al Hosani got out of his position to thwart him. Farfan tumbled and fell although TV replays showed there was no contact. Mirko Vucinic duly stepped up and tucked it to the left of Al Hosani.
Al Wahda came close to restoring parity 10 minutes into the second half but Khalid Al Senani recovered well in time to collect it to deny Sebastian Tagliabue after an initial fumble off Denilson's long ranger. Their probing did pay dividends as they nullified Al Jazira lead just two minutes after the hour mark. Substitute Khalid Bawazir chipped it from the right and Tagliabue brilliantly headed it into the left top corner of the net.
But Al Jazira retook the lead eight minutes later with Vucinic getting his brace. Yaser Matar curled one from the right but Mohamed Al Menhali couldn't quite head it to safety.
And an unmarked Vucinic slotted it into far post.
But there was to be more as Suhail Al Mansoori cancelled that out for Al Wahda with eight minutes left on the clock.
james@khaleejtimes.com