UAE Pro League:
Azmoun strikes last-gasp winner for Shabab Al Ahli on return from injury
Iran international striker Sardar Azmoun announced his long-awaited return from injury in style, scoring a stoppage-time winner to lead Shabab Al Ahli to a massive 1-0 away win against Al Nasr at the UAE ADNOC Pro League on Saturday.
Making his first appearance in 122 days, Azmoun came off the bench with 13 minutes from normal time before rising high to head home Federico Cartabia’s corner-kick in the fifth minute of added time, as defending champion Shabab Al Ahli continued its unbeaten start to the new Emirati top-flight season.
The former AS Roma and Bayer Leverkusen striker bagged 26 goals and 10 assists in 39 appearances across all competitions in his debut campaign for Shabab Al Ahli, helping the club win a second league title in three seasons in May, as well as the UAE President’s Cup and Super Cup trophies.
Saturday’s victory moved Shabab Al Ahli to second in the league table with 10 points, with Al Ain on top on goal difference.
Elsewhere, Iranian midfielder Ahmad Nourollahi provided Venezuelan Renne Rivas with a 53rd-minute assist, before Ahmed Abunamous found the net in the second minute of added time as Ittihad Kalba came from behind to defeat Dibba away from home and move to fifth in the table with seven points.
Nourollahi’s fellow-Iranian Shahriar Moghanlou was introduced as a 68th-minute substitute, while Mohammad-Mahdi Mohebbi and Samam Qoddous missed the game in Fujairah with injury and Amirhossein Samdaliri was an unused substitute.