Khorfakkan made a memorable start to their ADNOC Pro League campaign, edging past Al Jazira 3-2 in a pulsating encounter at Saqr Bin Mohammad al Qassimi Stadium on Sunday.
The result marked a statement victory for the hosts, who showcased resilience and flair in a contest that delivered all five goals in a frenetic second half.
The opening 45 minutes offered little in the way of attacking threat, with both sides struggling to create clear chances and often guilty of sloppy play in midfield.
But the second half exploded into life almost immediately after the restart, as Khorfakkan seized control through Brazilian forward Lourency Do.
Just one minute into the second half, Lourency latched onto a precise pass from Tarik Tissoudali and curled a stunning effort beyond the Al Jazira goalkeeper to break the deadlock.
Their advantage was doubled in the 59th minute when Tissoudali once again played the role of creator, weaving his way down the left flank before squaring for Aylton Filipe, who tapped home into an empty net.
At that point, Khorfakkan looked on course for a comfortable victory, but Al Jazira mounted a spirited fightback through Nabil Fekir.
The Frenchman converted a penalty in the 67th minute, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, before repeating the trick ten minutes later with another composed spot-kick to level the match at 2-2 and silence the home crowd.
The contest took another dramatic twist when Khorfakkan were reduced to ten men in the 73rd minute after Abdalla Elrefaey was shown a red card, leaving the hosts under intense pressure.
Yet rather than buckle, they responded with determination and regained the lead through the outstanding Tissoudali.
The Moroccan striker capped his influential display in the 81st minute, controlling the ball inside the box before drilling a low shot into the bottom corner to restore Khorfakkan’s advantage.
Despite Al Jazira’s late efforts, the home side held firm to secure a famous victory in front of their supporters. For Khorfakkan, it was the perfect opening to the new campaign, combining attacking fluency with resilience under pressure.
Al Jazira, meanwhile, will be left to rue defensive lapses and missed opportunities, as their search for a first win of the season goes on.
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