Sharjah secure late victory over Al Dhafra, Shabab Al Ahli go on top with Ajman romp

Sharjah struck twice in the closing stages to claim a commanding 2-0 win over Al Dhafra in Matchweek 14 of the Adnoc Pro League on Wednesday, with Luan Pereira and Saul Guarirapa finding the net late on.

After a tight and cautious contest for long spells, the breakthrough finally arrived in the 81st minute.

Pereira timed his run to perfection to meet Harib Abdalla Suhail’s pinpoint cross, powering a header beyond the goalkeeper to give Sharjah a deserved lead.

Guarirapa then wrapped up the points deep into stoppage time. Pereira, the standout performer on the night, danced past multiple defenders inside the penalty area before unselfishly squaring the ball for Guarirapa, who calmly slotted to seal the victory.

The visitors had shown early intent, with Pereira rattling the post with a header just three minutes into the match.

That effort proved to be the only clear-cut chance of a cagey first half, as both sides remained disciplined and risk-averse, heading into the break goalless.

Sharjah came out with greater urgency after the restart. Pereira went close again in the 52nd minute after beating two defenders, only to see his strike flash wide of the post.

The Brazilian midfielder then endured a moment of frustration shortly after the hour mark, smashing a penalty against the crossbar.

Undeterred, Sharjah continued to apply pressure and were finally rewarded late on, before holding firm at the back to see out the result in assured fashion.

The win lifts Sharjah up to seventh place in the standings with 17 points, while Al Dhafra remain eighth, one point behind on 16.

Shabab Al Ahli triumph: Shabab Al Ahli returned to the summit of the table after edging past Ajman 1-0, courtesy of a superb first-half strike from Kauan Santos.

The decisive moment arrived in the 24th minute when Santos unleashed a powerful long-range effort that flew past the Ajman goalkeeper, giving the visitors an early advantage in a tightly contested encounter.

Ajman pushed for an equaliser after the break and came closest just after the hour mark, when Dino Hotić’s effort drifted narrowly wide of the post. It proved to be their clearest opening of the match, as chances remained at a premium.

From there, Shabab Al Ahli showed their experience and composure, dropping deeper and defending resolutely to protect their slender lead. Their organised back line stood firm under pressure, seeing out the contest with confidence.

The victory takes Shabab Al Ahli back to the top of the table on 35 points, underlining their title credentials, while Ajman remain 10th on 14 points.

Al Ain cruise past Kalba: Al Ain secured a convincing 3-1 victory over Kalba, with goals from Laba Kodjo, Soufian Rahimi and Matias Palacios sealing all three points.

The opening half was a cautious affair, with both sides struggling to create clear-cut chances as the teams went into the break level at 0-0.

Al Ain emerged with renewed intensity after the restart and broke the deadlock just two minutes into the second half, as Laba Kodjo produced a stunning bicycle kick to open the scoring.

The visitors doubled their advantage shortly after the hour mark when Soufian Rahimi latched onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Abdulkarim Trawri, beat his marker and fired a composed finish into the bottom corner.

Kalba pulled one back in the 70th minute through Ahmad Noorollah, who powered from inside the area to give the hosts hope.

However, any prospect of a comeback was ended when Matias Palacios struck from outside the box to restore Al Ain’s two-goal cushion and secure the victory.

Al Wahda snatch dramatic win over Dibba: Al Wahda secured a valuable late win after edging past Dibba 1–0 at Al Nahyan Stadium.

The decisive moment came in the 92nd minute when Caio Canedo scored the winning goal, handing Al Wahda all three points at the start of the second half of the season.

The result lifted Al Wahda to 29 points, while Dibba remain on nine points in 13th position.

Al Wahda showed attacking intent early, with Arnau Pradas hitting the post in the third minute, while Reza Ghandipour missed a close-range opportunity in the 33rd minute.