Al Nasr take cup form to Arabian Gulf League to stay aloft among UAE elites

Game sealed by goals from Jires Kembo Ekoko and Jonathan Pitroipa, summer signings cast aside by Al Ain and Al Jazira, reports John McAuley.

Al Wasl's AM Kazim, right, vies with Luis Jimenez of Al Nasr during their Arabian Gulf League match in Dubai on Monday night. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

Al Nasr 2 Al Wasl 0

Al Nasr Kembo 20', Pitroipa 67'

Man of the match Jires Kembo Ekoko (Al Nasr)

DUBAI // Al Nasr, UAE football’s current cup specialists, are proving a dab hand at this league business, too.

Last season’s double success in the President’s Cup and Arabian Gulf Cup has obviously fostered newfound faith at Al Maktoum Stadium for this campaign, meaning ambitions have ratcheted up a notch.

The country’s knockout specialists, typically existing just below the division’s top clubs, are now threatening to punch above their weight. Three rounds into the 2015/16 Arabian Gulf League, Nasr boast a trio of victories, with the third coming on Monday night in the Bur Dubai derby against Al Wasl.

It was sealed by goals from Jires Kembo Ekoko and Jonathan Pitroipa, summer signings cast aside by Al Ain and Al Jazira, respectively. Alongside fellow new recruits Luis Jimenez – deemed surplus to requirements at Al Ahli – and Nilmar – no longer needed by Brazil’s Internacional – they evidently have a point to prove.

Fittingly then, Kembo and Pitroipa combined for both goals, one in either half. On 20 minutes, Pitroipa played in the former Al Ain forward, who twisted and turned his marker before drilling a low shot inside Wasl’s near post.

Kembo promptly returned the favour midway through the second half, with Pitroipa expertly curling his effort around Rashid Ali in the visiting goal. The pair celebrated in front of the travelling Wasl support, who responded by lobbing shoes at their adversaries. It was a derby, after all.

By that stage, Wasl were staring at a second successive defeat, although the result could maybe have been different had Caio’s apparently justifiable claim for a penalty been awarded in first-half stoppage time.

Not that Nasr will dwell too much on that. Together with champions Al Ain, they possess a 100 per cent record in the league; second only to the Garden City club in the early standings. Last league winners in 1986, Nasr appear finally intent on shedding that cup specialist tag.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Jires Kembo Ekoko – The French-born forward has begun life well at Nasr, creating two goals last time out against Al Dhafra and then getting on the scoresheet here. He assisted Pitroipa, too, and deservedly departed in injury time to rapturous applause.

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAID

Ivan Jovanovic, the Nasr coach: “Today was a derby and we did what we needed to do to win because we knew we wouldn’t get many chances. It’s only three games into the season, so it’s not easy to say what will happen in the future. The team to succeed is the team with the most stability throughout the year. We are here two years with this team and my experience here shows that every year the league becomes more difficult.”​

Gabriel Calderon, the Wasl manager: “It’s difficult to lose this match. We played well, we didn’t deserve to lose but many actions decided the result. Nasr didn’t try to play good football, they only fouled and wasted time. The referee gave us no protection to play. I don’t like to lose time – the ball was in play only 18 minutes of the second half – but this is football. We will continue working next time to reach our goal.”

NATIONAL VERDICT

Nasr’s fine start to the campaign continues, with the Dubai side extending their 100 per cent league record. In Kembo, Pitroipa and Jimenez, they certainly possess the attacking prowess to push teams, although they need more from spearhead Nilmar. Wasl will certainly improve now Caio has returned to the team. Here, he understandably looked a little of the pace.

Ryan Babel propels Al Ain to a third straight victory

The former Liverpool forward Ryan Babel scored one and assisted another as Al Ain beat Sharjah 2-1 to maintain their 100 per cent winning record in the Arabian Gulf League.

Rashed Essa gave the UAE champions a sixth-minute lead before Babel doubled the lead on 25 minutes. The Brazilian Renato scored a consolation goal in added time for Sharjah who ended the match at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium with 10 men after defender Hamdan Qasim picked up a second booking, for a foul on Mohammed Abdulrahman, and was sent off in the dying seconds.

Man-of-the-match Babel said: “I am new to this league and need to adapt to a style that would benefit my team.

“We have done quite well so far to win all three league games. The next is a derby match against Al Wahda. I watched them last week, and they got quality. From now on our focus will be on that game.”

Essa ghosted into the box to easily tap home Babel’s superb cross from the left flank for Al Ain’s opener and the Dutchman was on target with a powerful right-footer from the edge of the box after exchanging passes with Mohammed Fayez.

Al Ain were unlucky not to add to their score in the second half when Emmanuel Eminike’s close-range effort hit the Sharjah goalkeeper Mohammed Yousufand bounced off the bar.

Elsewhere on Monday night, Al Shabab’s four-game winning streak ended after they were held to a 0-0 draw at Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium by Dibba.

UAE international winger Ismail Al Hammadi scored the winner nine minutes from time as Al Ahli beat Al Dhafra 2-1.

Rodrigo Lima’s fourth league goal in three games gave Ahli the lead on 67 minutes but it was short-lived as Abdulrahim Jumaa equalised four minutes later.

Additional reporting by Amith Passela

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