Shabab Al Ahli inch closer to ADIB Cup semis berth, Al Wasl hold Jazira

Shabab Al Ahli earned a narrow but valuable 2-1 victory over Al Nasr in the first leg of the ADIB Cup quarter-finals, with Mateus Lima’s first-half brace proving decisive at Rashid Stadium.

The opening period delivered high tempo and early drama, with all three goals arriving in the first 24 minutes.

Lima opened the scoring after just 12 minutes, pouncing on a misplaced pass from the Al Nasr backline.

The forward darted inside before slotting confidently after beating the goalkeeper to hand the hosts an early lead.

Al Nasr issued an instant reply. Two minutes later, Abdoulaye Toure surged into the area after collecting possession in midfield and drilled a composed low finish into the bottom corner to restore parity.

But Shabab Al Ahli were back in front midway through the half.

Guilherme Bala produced a superb cross from the left, and Lima reacted sharply to steer home his second with a crisp, first-time finish.

Al Nasr pushed hard after the break in search of an equaliser. Toure forced Hassan Hamza into action seconds after the restart, the Shabab Al Ahli goalkeeper springing low to push away a powerful strike in the 46th minute.

The visitors ramped up the pressure late on, with Kevin going close 12 minutes from time, but Hamza stood firm again to preserve his side’s advantage heading into the decisive return fixture.

The second leg is scheduled for Nov.29, at Al Maktoum Stadium, where Al Nasr will look to overturn the deficit and keep their cup ambitions alive.

Meanwhile, Al Jazira and Al Wasl were left deadlocked after a cagey 0-0 draw in the first leg of the ADIB Cup quarter-finals at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium, leaving everything to play for on Nov.30 decisive return fixture.

The match opened with early controversy. Matheus Saldanha appeared to give Al Wasl the perfect start inside two minutes, powering home a header from a superb right-wing delivery, only for the assistant’s flag to rule the effort out for offside.

Al Jazira responded with a chance of their own as Simon Banza rose above the defence to meet Jay Dee’s pinpoint cross, but his header drifted narrowly wide.

Midway through the first half, Al Wasl threatened again when Hugo Neto unleashed a fierce strike from a distance, forcing Stojan Lekovic into a brilliant, full-stretch save that underlined the Al Jazira goalkeeper’s sharp form.

Al Jazira were handed a golden opportunity to break the deadlock shortly before the hour mark after being awarded a penalty.

Banza stepped up with confidence, but Al Wasl goalkeeper Khaled Al Senaani reacted superbly, diving low to push the spot-kick away and keep the tie level.

Both sides pushed for a breakthrough in the closing stages, but clear chances remained scarce as the defences held firm.

The quarter-final now moves to Zabeel Stadium, where the second leg will take place on Sunday, 30 November, with the tie finely poised.

Earlier, Al Ain edged closer to the ADIB Cup semi-finals with a commanding 3–1 victory over Sharjah in the first leg of the quarter-finals at Sharjah Stadium.

The visitors set the tone early, dominating possession and creating multiple chances, before El Houssien Rahimi opened the scoring with a perfectly placed header.

Just five minutes later, Rahimi struck again, converting a precise assist from Laba Kodjo to give Al Ain a comfortable two-goal cushion.

Sharjah tried to mount a comeback, and Rahimi seemed poised to complete his hat-trick in the 68th minute, but his strike was disallowed for offside, keeping the home side within reach.

The hosts capitalized on a momentary lapse in the 85th minute, as Coronado powered home a finish to reduce the deficit and rekindle Sharjah’s hopes.

However, Al Ain sealed their advantage in stoppage time when Matías Palacios calmly slotted home a third goal, ensuring a crucial away win and putting them in a commanding position ahead of the second leg.