Al Shabab\'s Etisalat Cup hopes dented by Al Nasr

Al Nasr’s hopes of qualifying for the Etisalat Cup have long been extinguished, but that didn’t stop Walter Zenga’s men from ruining Al Shabab’s hold at the summit of Group B. Former Bayern Munich and Italy striker Luca Toni equalised for visiting Nasr, who finished the game with 10-men after Ali Salem was dismissed, after Shabab went ahead through Hamdan Qassim’s goal. Paulo Bonamigo’s Shabab side went into the game with a two point lead over Al Ahli, but are now level with their Dubai rivals, who won 4-1 at Sharjah. It took time for both teams to settle down at the Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium, but the first chance went Nasr’s way in the 12th minute after new Toni released Amara Diane in the box. Diane shot on the run, but his left-footed effort to the far post along the ground proved an easy picking for Shabab goalkeeper Ismail Rabea. Ten minutes later, at the other end, Shabab’s Carlos Villanueva sent a free-kick wide from a promising position and then missed another opportunity as he aimed his shot along the ground straight at Nasr goalkeeper Ahmed Shambieh. Referee Abdullah Al Zaabi relegated Nasr coach Walter Zenga to the stands in the 36th minute for shouting back at fourth official Yacqoub Al Hammadi, who followed the Italian around his dugout after he protested against the linesman’s failure to flag a ball that had clearly left the field of play as an outside. Nasr goalkeeper Shambieh misjudged Sami Anbar’s shot from a distance, but made amends to let it crash against him late as he stood on the goal line, just before the break as the score remain unchanged with the teams retreating into the tunnel. Following the restart, Toni was a tad late with his slide to meet Fadel Ahmed’s low cross from the left before Shabab finally broke the deadlock in the 49th. Villanueva rolled it for Hamdan, whose shot struck the underside of the crossbar from a tight angle before bouncing over the line. Brazilians Kieza and Jociel both squandered gilt-edged chances for Shabab, the former heading high from a free-kick after rising unmarked and the latter poking it wide after coming face-to-face with ‘keeper Shambieh. The hosts were made to pay for the misses as Nasr drew level in the 74th, Toni timing his slide to perfection at the far post to divert home substitute Jamal Ibrahim’s low cross. The visitors could have had the lead in the 81st but Shabab goalkeeper Rabea acrobatically turned away Diane’s goalbound header. Nasr had Ali Salem sent off with five minutes left, but Zenga reshuffled thing from the stands as his side held on for a share of the spoils. Elsewhere in Group B, Bani Yas came back to win 2-1 at Ajman to move up to third on the table.