El Houssien Rahmi’s composed second-half finish proved decisive as Al Ain edged past Sharjah with a 1–0 victory at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Matchweek 11 of the ADNOC Pro League on Friday.
Al Ain made an assertive start and fashioned their first clear opening inside two minutes, when Laba Kodjo met a pinpoint pass before drilling a low effort narrowly wide of the right post.
The Togolese striker threatened again five minutes later, rising to meet a cross with a powerful header that was pushed away with difficulty by Sharjah goalkeeper Adel Al Hosani.
Al Ain continued to apply pressure and were denied by the woodwork in the 22nd minute, as Amadou Niang struck the post with a close-range effort that would have given the hosts a deserved lead.
Sharjah’s first meaningful response arrived after 35 minutes, when Caio Lucas was sent clean through on goal, only for his effort to be denied by Al Ain’s goalkeeper in a crucial one-on-one moment.
Laba Kodjo thought he had finally broken the deadlock with a stunning first-time volley shortly before the interval, but celebrations were cut short after the goal was ruled out, with the cross deemed to have gone out of play before reaching him.
Sharjah emerged with intent after the restart and nearly struck within a minute, as Caio Lucas latched onto a through ball, cut inside the box and unleashed a sublime effort that sailed just over the crossbar.
The breakthrough eventually arrived ten minutes into the second half. Alejandro Romero unlocked the defence with a perfectly weighted through pass, allowing El Houssien Rahmi to burst into the area before calmly slotting a low finish into the bottom corner.
Al Ain then showed their defensive resilience, controlling the remainder of the contest and limiting Sharjah to few clear chances as they protected their slender advantage with authority.
The result keeps Al Ain top of the ADNOC Pro League standings with 27 points, while Sharjah remain in 11th place on seven points.
Send feedback
