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Yesterday was a black day for the Abu Dhabi-based football teams, as both Al Jazira and Al Wahda lost at home to Al Ahli (1-2) and Al Shaab (0-1) respectively.

With Al Ittihad drawing 1-1 against joint leaders Al Ain, the lead in the first division league stays with Al Ahli.

Ahli returned victorious to Dubai with 20 points from nine matches, two points more than Al Nasr and Al Ain, who are now joint second.

It was Al Jazira's mistakes that led to their fall and first defeat in the league this season. Their Dutch coach, Jan Verselygn, selected a midfield that could defend better than attack, with Qasim Omar performing a central role for the first time, instead of his usual place on the right flank, while Hamad Mohammed was in his worst form.

This led to strikers - George Weah and James Debbah - being left all alone up front, and made it easier for the visiting team's defenders to mark them.

Weah, realising the lack of assistance from the midfield, tried to shoot from long distances, but bad luck and Ali Saeed, the visiting custodian, kept the Liberian star from scoring.

He had two headers, at least one of which should have put his team into the lead, but it wasn't his day.

Al Ahli, meanwhile, were playing cautiously, securing their backline and depending on counter-attacks through their midfielder, Salim Khamis, and their two Iranian strikers, Ali Karimi and Jawad Kazimiani.

Ahli's first serious attempt on the home team's goal was fruitful. A foul by Ali Hassan Ibrahim on Adil Abdul Aziz on the left flank resulted in a free kick. While the home team players were busy protesting the referee's decision, Abdul Aziz took advantage of the whistle blowing to cross, and Kazimiani headed home from inside the six-yard area.

Thirty-three minutes into the match and Al Ahli led 1-0.

Seven minutes later, Ali Hassan Abbass, the visitors' defender, added the second goal for Ahli, following a tremendous solo run which indicated the vulnerability of the Al Jazira defence and midfield.

Weah salvaged some pride for the home team by reducing the deficit in the dying minutes of the first half when he headed home a free kick from Hamad.

In the second half, Al Jazira pressed forward but lacked organisation and imagination and their play was random most of the time, sending long high balls to Weah only for Ahli defenders to clean-up first time.

Verselygn was late in making amends and the first substitution he made did not lead to strengthening his team's attack, as Bakhit Saad, who came to replace Mohammed Al Sayed, was a slow player and tended to keep the ball too long.

Hussain Suhail and Yousuf Abdul Aziz were only brought in ten minutes before the end and time was already running against the team that had lost concentration by that time.

In the other matches played yesterday, Al Wasl scored their first win of the league after beating Sharjah 2-1 at Sharjah stadium. Farhad Majiedi scored Al Wasl's first goal in the 18th minute with Nawaf Mubarak levelling for Sharjah in the 75th minute.

Humaid Yousuf snatched the winner for Al Wasl in the last minute from the spot. Al Wasl are in eighth position with eight points while Sharjah stayed 11th with five points.

In Kalba, Al Ain were forced to settle for a draw with Al Ittihad at the latter's ground in Kalba. Al Ain dropped to the third place with 18 points, while Al Ittihad in the ninth place with seven points.

Al Shabab are still looking for their first win in the league. They were held to a 2-2 draw by Al Dhafra at Maktoum bin Rashid stadium in Dubai. Al Shabab stayed at the bottom of the table with three points while Al Dhafra become 10th with six points.

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