Abu Dhabi, UAE – Al Ain continued their winning streak in the UAE league, adding to Sharjah’s woes with a 1-0 victory. The match took place on Friday evening as part of the 11th round of the ADNOC Pro League.
Al Ain hosted Sharjah at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, in a match that saw a clear advantage for “Al Zaeem” throughout both halves of the game.
Hossein Rahimi scored the only goal of the match in the 55th minute, after he unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area that found the back of the net.
"سفيان غايب لكن حسين حاضر.. كأنه على أهداف الصدارة موصيه" 🟣💥
حسين رحيمي يضع العين في المقدمة بهدف من تسديدة صاروخية في شباك الشارقة ⚽✔️#العين_الشارقة#دوري_أدنوك_للمحترفين pic.twitter.com/1MiaeQmASV
— ADSportsTV (@ADSportsTV) January 2, 2026With this victory, Al Ain raised its tally to 27 points, strengthening its lead in the UAE league standings, while Sharjah’s tally remained frozen at 7 points in eleventh place.
The first half witnessed great excitement and mutual attacks between the two teams, with Al Ain having a relative advantage in possession and creating opportunities, despite Sharjah’s threats at some times.
Al Ain nearly opened the scoring early through Kodjo Laba, whose shot went just wide of the post. Sharjah goalkeeper Adel Al Hosani then made a brilliant save from a dangerous header. Al Ain were then denied the lead by the post when Amadou Niang’s well-placed header struck the woodwork in the 23rd minute.
Sharjah responded with a shot from Re Manaj that went just wide. The 35th minute also saw Sharjah’s most dangerous chance, after Al Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa made a brilliant save to deny Caio Lucas in a one-on-one situation.
Disallowed goal for Al Ain
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology cancelled a goal scored by Al Ain’s Kodjo Laba in the 39th minute. This was due to the ball going out of play, and the first half ended in a goalless draw.
كودجو لابا يُسجل هدفاً عالمياً في شباك الشارقة لكن لا يُحتسب بسبب خروج الكرة من الملعب ⚽❌
شاهد اللقطة كاملة 🎥#العين_الشارقة#دوري_أدنوك_للمحترفين pic.twitter.com/gTjz4N8fMY
— ADSportsTV (@ADSportsTV) January 2, 2026At the start of the second half, Al Ain intensified their attacking pressure, and succeeded in translating their superiority into a goal in the 55th minute by Hussein Rahimi.
Sharjah tried to mount a quick comeback with a series of attacks, but lacked the final touch, while Al Ain relied on counter-attacks to extend their lead.
In the 79th minute, Khalid Eisa shone again and prevented an equalizer, after he blocked a powerful shot from Igor Coronado.
The final minutes of the match were filled with excitement and attempts from both sides. However, the score remained unchanged until the referee blew the final whistle.
Read: Breaking their winning streak.. Al Wasl inflicts Al Wahda’s first defeat in the UAE league (video)
