News Center

Etisalat Pro League Round 16 Review

An action-packed Round 16 of the Etisalat Pro League saw a plethora of goals and big results, as teams had plenty to play for at both ends of the table. League leaders Al Ain kept up their title charge in the first game of the round to kick off, setting the pace for the following matches with a 3-0 win away at Al Dhafra in Thursday evening’s early game, with goals from Ismail Ahmed, Ali Al Wehaibi and Alex Brosque. The victory sees Al Ain maintain their nine-point gap at the top of the table with a points total of 40, whilst Al Dhafra are 11th on 15 points, and although he did not score in his first game back from the African Cup of Nations, Asamoah Gyan still tops the League’s scoring chart.

Thursday’s 8 o’clock kick-off saw Ajman host Al Jazira, and it was the visiting side from Abu Dhabi who came out on top with a 4-2 away win. Al Jazira’s goals were scored by Ibrahim Diaky, Subait Khater with a brace, and Ali Salem Ahmed, whilst Boris Kabi netted twice for the losing side, giving him a personal tally of 13 goals for the season; third on the League’s top scorers list. The three points gives second-placed Al Jazira a current total of 31, as they chase behind Al Ain. Meanwhile Ajman sit 10th on 15 points.

Friday saw five games take place, and the results lead to some crucial movements in the Pro League standings. Dibba Al Fujairah hosted fellow strugglers Al Shaab but could not capitalise on their home advantage, going down 1-0 to a goal from Hassan Maatouq at the Fujairah Stadium. The win sees Al Shaab take an important step away from the relegation zone, as they now sit three points ahead of the bottom two clubs, in 12th position with 10 points. Dibba Al Fujairah remain glued to the bottom in 14th place with 7 points, and face a tough struggle as they seek safety.

Al Nasr welcomed Al Shabab to the Al Maktoum Stadium, and by the end of the game the two teams had switched places in the League as Al Shabab’s 3-2 away victory took them up to 5th, with Al Nasr dropping a position to 6th. Goals from Edgar, Abdullah Hassan and a late winner from Edgar once again secured the three points for Al Shabab, whilst Linardo Lima notched up two goals for the home side to continue their  impressive 12-match unbeaten run and 7-game winning streak.

Al Wahda narrowly squeezed past Kalba with a 2-1 win, but it was an uphill task for the hosts as they lost key defender Hamdan Al Kamali to a red card just 28 minutes into the match. Al Kamali conceded a penalty for his sending off offence, which Kalba’s Jordanian player Amer Deeb duly converted, but Australian Dino Djulbic was the hero for Al Wahda, scoring two headers from corners to clinch the win at the Al Nahyan Stadium – his first two goals of the season. Al Wahda are 7th in the League with 21 points, and Kalba remain in a precarious position as second-from-bottom with 7 points.

Friday’s two late games saw nine goals as both home sides ran rampage in front of goal. Bani Yas recorded an emphatic 5-0 victory over visitors Dubai, with goals from Christian Wilhelmsson, Nawaf Mubarak, Andre Senghor, Mohamed Aboutrika and Haboush Saleh. Things are looking bright for third-placed Bani Yas on 31 points, with both new star signings getting on the scoresheet, and Dubai sit comfortably mid-table in 8th with 19 points. Al Wasl were also on the receiving end of a thrashing as Al Ahli put four goals past them in the Dubai derby at the Rashid Stadium. Luis Antonio Jiminez, Ahmad Khalil, Yousif Mohamed and Ismaeel Al Hammadi completed the 4-0 win for Al Ahli, putting them 4th in the League on 30 points, whilst Al Wasl can be found in 9th position with 17 points.