Otabor fires Al Orooba to win over Ajman, Al Bataeh triumph

Viv Otabor’s stoppage time penalty fired Al Orooba to a 3-2 win over Ajman in a dramatic game during matchweek 23 of the ADNOC Pro League on Monday.

Junior Flemmings fired Ajman in front four minutes before the break with an unstoppable strike that past the outstretched hands of Al Orooba’s goalkeeper Rashid Suhail.

Flemmings’ own goal in the 57th minute hit the equalizer for Al Orooba, before the Jamaican being teed up inside the box, by Ali Madan to nod the ball into the back of the net, putting Ajman ahead again five minutes after the hour-mark.

Heper Dos Santos restored the parity for Al Orooba five minutes before the time with a clinical finish from a close range.

Otabor successfully converted from a penalty spot in the dying moments to secure the three points for Al Orooba.

The result means that Ajman sit tenth with 27 points, while Al Orooba are bottom with 10 points.

Meanwhile, Al Bataeh earned a crucial 1-0 win over Bani Yas, continuing their unbeaten run in the fixture’s history.

The match was held at Khalid Bin Mohammed Stadium and marked the sixth meeting between the two sides, with Al Bataeh now recording three wins and three draws.

The result lifts Al Bataeh to 24 points in 12th place, while Bani Yas remain 11th with 25 points.

Al Bataeh dominated much of the match, particularly in the first half.

Bani Yas, meanwhile, failed to register a single attempt before the break and spent long spells in a defensive setup.

Al Bataeh thought they had broken the deadlock in the 34th minute through Mohammed Juma Eid, but the goal was overturned by VAR due to a handball by Anatole Bertrand in the buildup.

Their breakthrough finally came in the 55th minute when Azizjon Ganiev calmly converted a penalty, sealing what would become the winning goal.

Despite a few late efforts by Bani Yas to level the score, the visitors failed to create any real danger, and Al Bataeh held on for a deserved victory.

Earlier, Al Ain and Al Jazira shared the points in a tightly contested 1-1 draw at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.

Despite Al Ain’s control for much of the first half, it was Al Jazira who broke the deadlock through a moment of brilliance.

Just before the halftime whistle, Nabil Fekir curled in a stunning free-kick to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

After the break, Al Ain came out with purpose and found their reward in the 60th minute.

Soufian Rahimi met a perfect cross and guided it past the keeper to bring the match level at 1-1.

Rahimi appeared to have scored again in the 71st minute, but his second goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.

With the result, Al Ain move to 37 points and hold on to fifth place in the standings.

Al Jazira rise to 33 points and sit in seventh as the ADNOC Pro League enters its final stretch.

Meanwhile, the UAE Pro League organised a technical workshop on Tuesday, in Dubai to discuss proposed updates and improvements for the upcoming 2025–2026 football season.

The workshop was attended by UAE Pro League’s Board Member, Chairman of the Technical Committee, Hassan Taleb Al Marri, and Musab Al Marzooqi, Acting CEO, in addition to representatives from all 14 professional clubs.

The workshop commenced with a welcoming speech by Al Marri, who highlighted the importance of collaboration and dialogue with clubs’ representatives.

He affirmed that the purpose of the workshop is to exchange ideas and visions to enhance the technical structure of professional football in the UAE.

He noted that clubs are key partners in the ongoing development and success of the national football ecosystem.

The UAE Pro League board member also stated that the insights, observations, and discussions arising from the workshop will be presented to the UAE Pro League’s Board of Directors for review, with the aim of implementing decisions that best serve the interests of the clubs, the competitions, and UAE football as a whole.