Karimi powers Al Ahli to cup victory

AFC - Iranian international Ali Karimi struck twice for Al Ahli as they regained the United Arab Emirates President’s Cup, defeating Al Shaab 2-1 at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. 

A sixth President’s Cup title was consolation for the Dubai club who finished second to Al Ain in the league championship playoff after being held to a 2-2 draw by Shabab in their final round-robin match. 

It was a weakened Al Ahli side that took the field in the 28th edition of the President’s Cup final with six regular players serving suspensions following that ill-tempered clash against Al Shabab last month while goalkeeper Ali Saeed missed the game because of injury.

The two teams started cautiously but it was Al Ahli who went close to scoring when Shabab goalkeeper Jassim Ali, substituting for the injured Jamal Abdulla, made a reflex save on a header by Darko Metrovic off an 18th minute corner kick.

It was Karimi who drew first blood in the 36th minute as he ticked the scoreboard with an opportunistic goal. Metrovic and Jassim Ali both went up for a high ball, but with neither the keeper nor the Al Ahli striker getting to it, the ball landed in empty space with the Iranian reacting quickest to dart in and slot in to the empty net. 

UAE international Mohammed Rashid Suroor headed home a cross from the right by Yousef Hassan to equalise for Al Shabab in the 41st minute but his side lost the advantage when Karimi collected a long ball from Ahmed Shah on 66 minutes and drilled it past a hapless Jassim Ali.

Al Shaab launched all-out attacks in the closing stages to force the match into extra time but they were unable to break through Al Ahli’s reinforced defence with both Karimi and Metrovic dropping deep to add more muscle at the back. 

Al Shaab's only real effort of note in the last quarter of the match was a powerful header by Suroor which went wide.

Metrovic nearly added a third goal but his close range shot on an injury-time counter-attack hit the outstretched hand of Jassim Ali and ricocheted off the crossbar. 

Al Ahli’s Romanian coach Ellie Bilaci was pleased with the result although still ruing his team's disappointing finish in the league. 

"The President’s Cup was some consolation but I can’t forget losing the league title having come so close to wining it. The end result was very hard for me and my boys," said the Romanian. 

UAE President's Cup - result 
Al Ahli 2 (Ali Karimi 36, 66) Al Shaab 1 (Mohammed Rashid Suroor 41)