The defeat in the home tie also left the Muktis without a point in the competition after four games.

Captain Al Ghorbani was the hero for the Yemenis with two goals while substitute Redwan Ahmed got the winner with a fine strike 12 minutes from time.

The home team however made the best start possible as they went ahead just 52 seconds after kick-off through Ghanaian central defender Charles Ghansa who headed home after Al Shabb custodian Obaid missed the flight of the ball from a left side corner by Matiur Munna (1-0).

Ghorbani equalised in the 34th minute from a counter attack. Muktijoddha forward Saifur Rahman Moni lost the ball near the Al Shabb penalty area and Nashwan Isa began a darting run down the right before supplying a superb square-pass for Ghorbani who rounded off the country's number one goalkeeper Aminul Haque and placed the ball into the net (1-1).

But Moni made amends in the 38th minute by utilising a half chance. The opportunist striker received the ball after the Shabb backline failed to clear a cross from Cameroonian Kisito Afala and blasted a right-footed sidevolley home from 15 yards (2-1).

The visitors were in control after the break with a crisp-passing Redwan orchestrating proceedings in the middle. On the hour mark, Ghorbani leapt above the Muktijoddha defence to head in a perfect Isa freekick from the right (2-2).

In the 78th minute, the diminutive Redwan was rewarded for his enterprise and creativity when he exchanged passes with Faisal Obaid and drilled a thunderous right-foot volley into the far corner of the net from 25 yards (3-2).

"After falling 2-1 behind, I put Redwan just behind my main strikers and he did what was asked of him and won the match for us," said Al Shabb's Iraqi coach Faisel Aziz Jabr who had visited Dhaka back in 1983 with English side Middlesex Wanderers.

"There was not much difference between the two sides but our opposition did not read our tactics in the second half and gave away space. We still have a chance in the competition," said Jabr whose side have six points from four games.

Al Nijmeh of Lebanon, who were due to play Nisa FC at Asghabad, Turkmenistan yesterday, led the group with maximum nine points.

Muktijoddha coach Shafiqul Islam admitted that his boys lost to a better side.

"Technically, they were far above us," the former national fullback said after the match.

"I thought that at least the Yemeni club would be a weaker side than the other two but they proved me wrong. Also, having only 13 fit players did not help matters," said Manik.

Muktijoddha will take on Turkmentistan's Nisa FC on May 5 in Dhaka in their next outing.

Yellow cards: Ghansa, Tipu (Muktijoddha) and Isa, Ghorbani (Al Shabb)

TEAMS
Al Shabb (Formation: 3-5-2): Obaid, Baadani, Ghanim, Nozily, Majid Ali, Isa, Akram Alwarafi (Redwan, 46th minute), Alwah, Hisham Alwarafi, Ghorbani (Kasem, 88th) and Alhagam (Faisal, 72nd).

Muktijoddha (Formation: 3-5-2): Aminul, Harry, Ghansa, Sujan, Munna, Joy, Afala, Biddyut, Hassan, Moni and Tipu (Belal, 67th).

Referee: Imtiaz Ali Shah (Pakistan).