Abu Dhabi, UAE – Bani Yas secured a dramatic last-minute victory over Al Bataeh with a 1-0 win. The match took place at Khalid Bin Mohammed Stadium as part of the 18th round of the UAE Pro League.
Lionel Govou scored the only goal of the match in the 93rd minute, giving his team three valuable points in the fight to escape the bottom of the table.
هدف قاتل من بني ياس في اللحظات الأخيرة يخطف 3 نقاط ثمينة أمام البطائح في الجولة الـ18 من دورينا #البطائح_بني_ياس #دوري_أدنوك_للمحترفين | #أبوظبي_الرياضية 2⃣📺 pic.twitter.com/sFewWFyrKn
— ADSportsTV (@ADSportsTV) February 27, 2026With this result, Bani Yas raised their points tally to 14, placing them twelfth. Meanwhile, Al Bataeh remained at the bottom of the table with 13 points.
A cautious first half
The first half was goalless, with few genuine scoring opportunities for either side, save for two notable chances. The first came in the 10th minute for Bani Yas, when Nassim Chadli skillfully dribbled into the penalty area. However, the Al Bataeh goalkeeper made a brilliant save, pushing the ball out for a corner.
Al-Bataeh responded with a dangerous opportunity in the 29th minute, through a powerful shot from Deco that went past the post.
Excitement in the second half
At the start of the second half, Aziz Ganiev missed a golden opportunity for Al Bataeh, capitalizing on a mistake by Bani Yas goalkeeper Fahad Al Dhanhani. However, he shot the ball wide of the post.
In the 62nd minute, Al-Dhanhani made a brilliant save, clearing a powerful header off the goal line. Then, the post denied Ganiev a thunderous shot amidst sustained pressure from the home side. The Bani Yas goalkeeper continued his impressive performance with another crucial save in the 82nd minute.
Just when the match seemed headed for a draw, Lionel Govou snatched a late winner in the 93rd minute. With that, he gave Bani Yas a precious victory and ignited the fight for survival until the final rounds.
