Al-Jazira strips Shabab Al-Ahly of the title…and advances to the “Cup” final

Al Jazira qualified for the final match of the President’s Cup Football Competition, after achieving a valuable victory over the defending champion, Shabab Al Ahly, with an unanswered goal, in the meeting that brought together the two teams this Saturday evening at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, in Al Ain, in the semi-finals.

The match was strong and exciting in its details, as Shabab Al-Ahly imposed its control over the course of the game with the starting whistle, possessing the ball in the middle of the field, against a defensive retreat by Al-Jazira, which relied on closing spaces and playing on counter-attacks, and Bala almost gave the “Knights” an early lead, but his ball went a little over the crossbar.

After about 20 minutes had passed, Al Jazira’s performance gradually improved and began exchanging offensive attempts with its opponent, and Shabab Al Ahly’s defense intervened at the right time to block Bruno Oliveira’s shot, before it reached the net.

Al-Jazeera continued its attempts, as Nabil Feqira shot a ball from outside the penalty area, but it lacked sufficient force to land in Hamad Al-Muqbali’s hands without difficulty.

The danger of Shabab Al-Ahly appeared again against Al-Jazira’s goal, through two successive attempts, the first through a Cartabia shot that hit the head of defender Willian Roja, and almost deceived goalkeeper Ali Khaseef, who excelled in keeping it away with difficulty.

Only a few moments passed until Khasif returned to shine again, when he brilliantly blocked a dangerous header from Cascario, converting the ball into a corner kick, keeping his net clean in those moments.

The last minutes of the first half witnessed protests by Al Jazira players against Argentine referee Dario Herrera, for canceling a goal scored by Bruno Oliveira, due to a foul on Willian Roja before the ball entered the net.

But Bruno Oliveira, at the beginning of the second period, was able to put Al Jazira in the lead, after he took advantage of Nabil Fekir’s cross, and headed him into the goal, deceiving goalkeeper Hamad Al-Muqbali, and passing over his hand and into the net, “47”.

Shabab Al-Ahly tried to get back in the result, attacking and intensifying their attempts in search of the equalizer, but the solidity of Al-Jazira’s defense and the brilliance of its goalkeeper, Ali Khaseef, who stood out remarkably, playing one of his best matches this season, by saving several chances, to contribute a decisive role in leading his team to this historic victory and reaching the final match.