AGLeague Matchweek 16 Roundup
Sharjah further cemented their position at top, while Al Jazira dropped valuable points in matchweek 16 of the Arabian Gulf League.
Sharjah’s march towards the title continued as they earned a late 2-0 home win over Shabab Al Ahli. The game remained goalless until the 74th minute when Welliton Morais found the back of the net before Igor Coronado doubled their lead 10 minutes later.
The King collected their 12th league win to reach the 40-point mark at the top, while Shabab Al Ahli remained fourth on 29 points after losing their fifth game this season.
Al Ain returned to winning ways, collecting a tough 2-1 win over Al Nasr. Super-sub Ibrahim Diaky netted an 86th-minute goal to help his side collect the three points. The Boss remained second and reduced the gap with Sharjah to six points. Al Nasr, meanwhile, remain winless for the fourth game in a row, sitting 11th on 16 points.
Al Jazira failed to keep pace with Sharjah and Al Ain as they fell to a 2-1 defeat to Bani Yas. The Pride of Abu Dhabi remained third but are now four points behind Al Ain. Meanwhile, the Sky Blues extended their winning run to five game. They are now fifth on 27 points, two behind fourth-placed Shabab Al Ahli.
Al Wahda suffered a blow as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to struggling Al Wasl. The Clarets are sixth on 24 points, while Al Wasl moved to 10th place on 17 points.
Ajman returned to winning ways, after being held to four draws in a row, by beating Fujairah 3-0. The Oranges netted three quick-fire goals in the second half to move to seventh place on 23 points. This was, however, Fujairah’s fifth defeat in a row to remain 12th on 13 points.
Dibba ended an eight-game losing run after earning a late 1-1 draw with Emirates Club. Despite the draw, the Sailors remained at the bottom of the table on five points, seven behind the Falcons who sit 13th.
After beating Al Ain last week, Al Dhafra kept the momentum alive and collected their second 3-0 win in a row over Ittihad Kalba. The Western Knights now sit eighth on 20 points, one above the Tigers in ninth place.
A total of 17 goals were scored in matchweek 16 - compared to 22 in matchweek 15 - with an average of 2.4 goals per match.
Ali Mabkhout and Brazilian forward Welliton Soares maintained their places at the top of goalscoring charts with 16 goals each.
