Abu Dhabi, UAE – Al Ain achieved a valuable victory over their guest Kalba with two goals to nil, in the match that brought them together on Saturday evening, in the UAE League Championship.
Kalba visited Al Ain at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, as part of the ninth round of the ADNOC Pro League.
Al Ain started the match by putting pressure on Kalba, with Kodjo Laba missing a clear goal opportunity in the 13th minute, after receiving a pass in front of the goal and scoring just past the post.
He also wasted another opportunity in the 15th minute, after a shot from in front of the goal went over the crossbar.
In the 23rd minute, Ahmed Noorallahi missed a goal opportunity for Kalba, after receiving a cross which he met with a shot from in front of the goal, but it went over the crossbar.
Al Ain translated their threat into action in the first half, as they took the lead with the first goal in the 26th minute, through Kodjo Laba after a mistake by Kalba goalkeeper Sultan Al Mandhari.
Al Ain team imposed its control and dominance over the course of the first half, ending it with a one-goal lead.
At the start of the second half, Kodjo Laba returned to score Al Ain’s second goal in the 47th minute, after a dribble and a shot from inside the penalty area that found the back of the net.
بثنائية من كودجو لابا ⚽⚽
العين يفوز على ضيفه كلباء بنتيجة 2-0 ويستمر في صدارته لجدول ترتيب دورينا 🟣🔝
شاهد الهدفين 🎥#العين_كلباء#دوري_أدنوك_للمحترفين pic.twitter.com/9AZRqt4N1Q
— ADSportsTV (@ADSportsTV) December 20, 2025Laba also missed a chance for a third goal in the 56th minute, after going one-on-one with the goalkeeper and shooting a ball that hit the crossbar.
Kalba then tried to reduce the deficit, with Shahryar Monglo scoring a powerful header in the 78th minute, but it hit the post.
The match remained a back-and-forth affair between the two teams, but without any new goals being scored, ending with Al Ain winning by a score of (2-0).
With that result, Al Ain raised its tally to 23 points, strengthening its lead in the UAE league standings, while Kalba came in ninth place with 11 points.
