ADIB Cup gets underway this weekend with six first-leg ties scheduled across Saturday and Sunday, marking the start of a fresh campaign for clubs chasing silverware and a place on the winners’ podium.
Three matches on Saturday
The action begins at 17:55 with two fixtures: Al Dhafra hosting Al Wasl at Hamdan Bin Zayed Stadium, and Al Nasr facing Al Bataeh at Al Maktoum Stadium.
Al Dhafra return to the competition after a 989-day absence since their last appearance against Al Nasr in December 2022.
None of the five previous Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Cup meetings between Al Dhafra and Al Wasl ended in a draw, with Al Dhafra winning four and Al Wasl claiming one victory.
For Al Nasr and Al Bataeh, this will be their third meeting in the tournament.
The two sides exchanged wins during the 2022-23 edition of this round, with Al Nasr triumphing 2-0 at home before Al Bataeh responded with a 2-1 win at home.
The day concludes with Al Ain clashing against Kalba.
This is the third consecutive season the two sides meet in the competition — in the 2023-24 semi-finals and the 2024-25 Gameweek one — with Al Ain progressing on both occasions. Historically, Al Ain hold the edge in seven encounters, recording four wins to Kalba’s two, with one draw.
Three matches on Sunday
Sunday’s fixtures start at 17:55 with Khorfakkan meeting Bani Yas at Saqr Bin Mohammad al Qassimi.
It is only their second-ever encounter in the competition, with Bani Yas winning 2-1 in their 2021-22 placement match.
At the same time, Dibba return to the competition after 1,010 days away, hosting Sharjah at Dibba Stadium.
Their last appearance came in November 2022 against Al Jazira. This will be the third ADIB Cup clash between the two sides. Sharjah won 4-1 at home in 2015, while Dibba responded with a home win in 2017 during the group stage.
The Gameweek one matches conclude with Al Wahda against Ajman at Al Nahyan Stadium at 20:30.
The pair have met twice before in the competition, in 2018 and 2019, with Al Wahda winning both by identical 1-0 scorelines — each time away from home.
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