The Ghanaian forward cancelled the home team’s lead on the half-hour mark and scored two second half goals to put the result beyond doubt.

Late substitute Abdulrahman Al Qahtani added more misery to Al Shabab with an injury time goal to complete the rout.

Al Shabab took the lead in the 15th minute when Brazilian Marcos Assuncao scored at the second attempt after Hussain Shaian had saved his effort from the penalty spot following a handball in the penalty area by Paulo Sergio.

Zimbabwean forward Musawengosi Mguni could have doubled Al Shabab’s lead two minutes after Assuncao’s strike, but his effort from a one-on-one situation was wide of the mark.

The home side held onto the lead until the half-hour mark, when Ettifaq equalised after Tagoe chested down a long pass before smashing it into the roof of the net to cancel out Shabab’s lead.

The visitors made a strong start after the break and twice came close to scoring in the first six minutes.

Tagoe, however, was on target in the 54th minute after a good piece of work down the right flank from Saleh Bashir, who timed his cross to perfection to allow the Ghanaian to score.

As the game went into the final 30 minutes, Al Shabab coach Toninho Cerezo made a double substitution, replacing Mguni and the Iranian Mehrdad Oladi but his side continued to fall short.

Tagoe and Bashir linked up again six minutes from time as Tagoe completed his hat trick - doubling Ettifaq’s advantage in the process - as he all but ended the game as a contest.

Shaian made a fine save to deny Salem Suroor from pulling one back in the dying seconds of the game and Ettifaq took advantage through Al Qahtani on the counter attack in injury time to leave the home fans deeply disappointed.