In a game of few clear-cut chances at Rashid Stadium, it was the hosts who went closest to breaking the deadlock through Ismail Al Hammadi’s first-half header but Nasaf goalkeeper Eldorbek Suyunov was equal to it and was rarely troubled otherwise.

Majed Naser in the Al Ahli goal also had little serious threat to deal with as Nasaf lost key target man and captain Artur Gevorkyan in the first half, and with him went their sharpness in attack.

Following the draw, Nasaf still remain very much in contention for the knockout stage, having won their opener against Iran’s Tractorsazi Tabriz but Al Ahli remain at the foot of the table and with only two points from their first three games.

Following their 2-1 defeat a fortnight ago to Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli, Nasaf were keen to begin the game against their Emirati namesakes on the front foot and were unafraid of sending players forward in the attack.

This, however, left space at the back early on and on the quarter hour mark Ossama Assaidi went close to exploiting the holes in the backline as he danced in from the left touchline and fired in a shot at Eldorbek Suyunov’s near post that the Nasaf keeper needed to react quickly to force away from goal.

And as the half wore on the visitors began to get pinned back in their own half as Al Ahli cranked up the pressure.

The hosts had a golden chance to open the scoring on 27 minutes as Al Hammadi out-jumped defender Erkin Baydullaev at the near post following a corner to send a header on target that Suyunov, diving backwards, was forced to save on his line.

But Nasaf’s own search for the game’s opening goal suffered a blow five minutes later as 2014 Uzbek League top scorer Gevorkyan went down with an injury and the Turkmenistan striker was substituted.

Midfielder Odiljon Hamrobekov did go close to compensating for the loss as he almost caught out Majed Naser with a low struck free-kick that saw the United Arab Emirates goalkeeper scrambled to his left to make a sprawling save just before half-time.

The second half saw the tempo of the match continue in much the same way with the home side pressing and Nasaf still a threat on the counter but with neither side able to truly test the opposing keeper.

Striker Ahmed Khalil did go closest to opening the scoring in explosive fashion in the 70th minute, though, as the UAE international threw himself at a cross from the flank with an athletic overhead kick that connected sweetly with the ball but whistled narrowly wide of Suyunov’s left-hand post.

The remainder of the tie was characterised by some physical challenges from both sides but neither team was able to correct the often wayward shooting on display and they were forced to settle for a point apiece.