Egypt’s Shikabala leads Al-Wasl to UAE cup win

Mahmoud Abdel-Razek 'Shikabala' marked his debut with two assists as ten-man Al-Wasl defeated Ittihad Kalba 4-2 in their opening Group B game of the United Arab Emirates Cup on Tuesday. Al-Wasl, who had to play with only ten men for around 80 minutes following the early dismissal of defender Aly Mohamed, took the lead when Australia skipper Lucas Neill pounced on the failure of Kalba defenders to clear a Shikabala corner to notch home from close range. Shikabala drew enthusiastic cheers from the crowd with some skilful moves as he made his first competitive appearance after joining Al-Wasl on a season-long loan from Cairo giants Zamalek, where he had earned a reputation for hot-headedness. He played a role in Al-Wasl’s fourth goal, when his free-kick was converted into his own net by a Kalba defender. (ahram)