Ghana striker Emmanuel Clottey cancelled out Asamoah Gyan’s two goals for Al Ain with a hat-trick for Al Dhafra in their 4-3 home win on Friday in the UAE Arabian Gulf League. It was Al Ain who opened the scoring on nine minutes after Brazilian Michel Bastos finished off Omar Abulrahman’s lovely chipped through ball.

But Clottey, who was introduced after the break, drew Dhafra level less than 10 minutes after his arrival. The former Esperance man ghosted into the box to head home strike partner Makhete Diop’s left wing cross from close range. He again found himself unmarked to nod home Kamel Chafni left-wing corner just after the hour mark as Al Ain, comfortable in the opening 45 minutes, began to capitulate.

Gyan duly pulled them one back when he headed home Khaled Abdulrahman’s pinpoint cross before he levelled the scores just minutes later from Omar Abulrahman’s right wing corner. At that stage there looked to only be one winner with Gyan spurning a golden opportunity to put his side in front when he headed over from eight yards out.

And his fellow Ghanaian Clottey made him pay for that uncharacteristic profligacy in front of goal just 90 seconds later as he scampered onto a loose ball to fire into the roof of the net.