Chippy match between Al Ain and Sharjah ends with Asamoah Gyan’s treble

Game was marred by a scuffle during the half-time interval, with the TV broadcast showing several players from each side and club officials jostling in front of the match referee, reports Amith Passela.

Al Ain's Omar Abdulrahman, left, fights off a Sharjah challenge during their match on Tuesday. Mostafa Reda / Al Ittihad

Al Ain 4 Sharjah 1

Al Ain: Gyan 44', 69', 90', Ramos (og) 62' Sharjah: Ze Cazlos 4'

Red cards: Shahin Abdulrahman (Sharjah)

Man of the match: Asamoah Gyan (Al Ain)

Asamoah Gyan scored three times as Al Ain came from a goal down on Tuesday night to defeat Sharjah 4-1, advancing to the last eight in the President’s Cup at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium.

The game was marred by a scuffle during the half-time interval, with the TV broadcast showing several players from each side and club officials jostling in front of the match referee.

The scuffle was apparently started after an argument between Ze Carlos, Sharjah’s Brazilian forward, and Ismail Ahmed, the Al Ain centre-back, while the players were returning to the changing rooms.

Ze Carlos put Sharjah ahead in the fourth minute and Gyan cancelled it on the stroke of half time.

Mauricio Ramos, Sharjah’s Brazilian defender, found his own net on a cross from Michel Bastos past the hour. Gyan extended the lead, then completed the treble from a spot kick in added time.

Sharjah ended the game with 10 players after Shahin Abdulrahman was sent off for his second bookable offence.