Al Ain set the tone from the opening moments at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, pressing high and moving the ball sharply as they searched for an early breakthrough in Matchweek 11 of the ADNOC Pro League. Their intent was clear inside the first two minutes, when Laba Kodjo connected with an accurate pass and sent a low shot just past the right upright.
Al Ain set the tone from the opening moments at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, pressing high and moving the ball sharply as they searched for an early breakthrough in Matchweek 11 of the ADNOC Pro League. Their intent was clear inside the first two minutes, when Laba Kodjo connected with an accurate pass and sent a low shot just past the right upright.
The same forward remained at the centre of the hosts’ attacking play soon after. Five minutes later, he climbed above his marker to meet a delivery into the box, forcing Sharjah goalkeeper Adel Al Hosani into a strong save to keep the score level.
Pressure continued to build as Al Ain pinned their opponents back. In the 22nd minute, Amadou Niang came close to opening the scoring, only to see his close-range attempt strike the post, denying the home side a deserved advantage.
Sharjah eventually produced a moment of threat shortly before the break. Caio Lucas found himself clear through on goal after 35 minutes, but Al Ain’s goalkeeper reacted quickly to win the one-on-one duel and preserve the deadlock.
Just before halftime, Al Ain appeared to have taken the lead when Laba Kodjo volleyed home from close range. However, the joy was short-lived, as the effort was disallowed after the cross was judged to have crossed the line before reaching him.
The visitors returned from the interval with renewed purpose and nearly struck immediately. Within a minute, Caio Lucas drove into the penalty area and fired a powerful attempt that narrowly cleared the crossbar.
The defining action came ten minutes into the second period. Alejandro Romero slipped a precise pass through the defensive line, sending El Houssien Rahmi into space, and the attacker kept his composure to guide a low finish into the corner.
From that point, Al Ain focused on game management. They stayed organised at the back, restricted Sharjah to limited openings, and saw out the contest to secure a 1–0 victory.
The outcome leaves Al Ain at the summit of the ADNOC Pro League with 27 points, while Sharjah remains 11th on seven points.
