Ghoddos strike earns Kalba first win of season

Saman Ghoddos struck a dramatic 89th-minute penalty to hand Kalba their first victory of the Adnoc Pro League new season, edging Bani Yas 1-0 in a tense clash on matchweek two.

In a match short on clear opportunities, it was the Iranian midfielder who provided the decisive moment just as both sides appeared destined to share the points.

Bani Yas threatened first after 20 minutes when Akmal Mozgovoy unleashed a powerful strike from outside the box, only to be denied by a superb reflex save from Kalba’s goalkeeper.

The visitors responded shortly after, as Nemanja Jovic cut inside from the left in the 27th minute, skipped past the keeper, but dragged his effort wide of the target.

The second half followed the same cagey pattern, though Bani Yas looked to have broken the deadlock in the 71st minute when Niakate found space in the penalty area and lofted the ball over the goalkeeper.

However, the celebrations were cut short as the assistant referee flagged for offside.

With the clock winding down, Kalba were awarded a spot-kick in the final minute of regular time.

Ghoddos stepped up under pressure and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner. Despite the goalkeeper guessing the right way, the strike was too precise to be kept out.

The result gave Kalba a much-needed boost after their opening-round defeat to Al Nasr, while Bani Yas remain without a point following back-to-back losses in their opening two fixtures of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Saturday night’s Adnoc Pro League action sees Al Wahda welcome Shabab Al Ahli to Al Nahyan Stadium. The match will kick off at 8:30pm.

The meeting marks the 33rd encounter between the two sides in the professional era, a rivalry that has produced more draws than any other fixture in league history—13 in total.

Recent games have been especially thrilling, yielding 32 goals across the last seven showdowns, with Shabab Al Ahli edging the tally 17–15.

Both sides head into the clash with confidence after opening-day victories. Al Wahda saw off Ajman and now chase back-to-back wins at the start of a season for only the sixth time in their history—and the second year running.

Shabab Al Ahli, fresh from beating Al Dhafra, are targeting a perfect start for the third straight campaign.

The touchline battle will add another layer of intrigue, as Portuguese coaches Jose Morais and Paulo Sousa go head-to-head. Morais, who has vast experience across Arab and North African football, will be determined to halt Sousa’s momentum. Sousa, meanwhile, guided Shabab Al Ahli to a historic quadruple last season and will look to extend that dominance.

The statistics underline how evenly balanced this rivalry has been. In 32 league meetings, Shabab Al Ahli boast 13 wins, Al Wahda six, while 13 have ended in stalemates. Although Shabab Al Ahli won their first two visits to Al Nahyan Stadium, they have failed to triumph in the last 14 trips—nine draws and five defeats. Remarkably, each of the last seven league games at the venue has finished level.

Star players have often left their mark on this fixture. Omar Khribin has scored six times for Al Wahda against Shabab Al Ahli, in addition to a goal for the Dubai side against his current club.