Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan was a second half substitute has he made a return for Emirates club Al Ahli on Friday in league match.
Gyan replaced Waleed Hussain in the 62nd minute as Ahli beat Sharjah 1-0 away.
His appearance is a huge boost for Ghana ahead of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.
Gyan had been sidelined since late November with a muscle injury and his participation at the tournament was in doubt.
He is expected to start next Friday when Al Ahli host Al Ittihad Kalba in another league clash.