The UAE Pro League returned with a bang as the opening round of matches brought upsets, spectacular goals and not a single draw in seven games. With the return of fans to stadia across the country, the 2021-22 season is already promising to be a spectacle.
Here are five talking points from match day one.
Al-Ahbabi — Laba link continues to thrive for Al-Ain
Not since the iconic duo of Asamoah Gyan and Omar Abdulrahman half a decade ago has there been a more exciting partnership at Al-Ain than the telepathic Bandar Al-Ahbabi — Kodjo Laba double act, which continues to thrive for a third consecutive season.
Having finished the previous season with 13 goals, the Togolese striker Laba picked up right where he left off, bagging a brace on Friday as Al-Ain opened its campaign with a 3-1 win over Khorfakkan. His first goal was the result of a cross from Al-Ahbabi, while his second was a penalty won by the UAE international and converted by his partner in crime. Over the course of two and a half seasons, Al-Ain’s flying right-back has assisted 11 of the 33 goals scored by Laba, and with the start of the new season, it does not seem like the pair are planning to stop any time soon.
Emirates Club ready to put on a fight
Since the inception of the UAE Pro League in 2008-09, no team has been relegated more than Emirates Club, which has suffered the drop four times, the last of which came in 2018-19. However, the Ras Al-Khaimah-based club looked solid on its return to the top division despite a defeat to a strong Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai side.
Over the summer, Emirates Club recruited heavily, signing Moroccan duo Walid Sabbar and Adam Ennafati as well as Morocco-based Ivorian forward Joseph Gnadou.
The new core took little time to gel for Moroccan coach Tarik Sektioui, producing a solid counterattacking display and even taking the lead against the League Cup champions before VAR interfered to deny them the goal. A 1-0 defeat was perhaps an unfair result for the Falcon, but if its opening-day performance is anything to go by, it will be a tough nut to crack this season, and perhaps could be set to avoid a fifth relegation.
Al-Jazira’s well-oiled machine rumbles on
Unlike many of their league rivals, reigning champions Al-Jazira barely dipped into the transfer market, the only acquisitions being Brazilian winger Joao Victor from Bundesliga side Vfl Wolfsburg, and little-known Ivorian teenager Mamadou Coulibaly.
Instead, coach Marcel Keizer’s men carried on improving on the qualities that made them champions for the third time last season. In the opening weekend, last season’s Emirati Player of The Year Ali Mabkhout showed he is more than a goal-scorer, setting up Victor for a debut goal, while Thulani Serero and Abdullah Ramadan ran the show in midfield as the Pride of Abu Dhabi secured a 2-0 win against Al-Dhafra despite the absence of injured playmaker Khalfan Mubarak.
Al-Wahda, Sharjah set for tasty AFC Champions League clash
The UAE’s two remaining representatives in the 2021 AFC Champions League started their league campaigns with victories, and although the nature of the wins differed drastically, Sharjah’s late 1-0 win over rivals Ittihad Kalba and Al-Wahda’s 4-0 thrashing of newcomers Al-Orooba demonstrated that the two sides’ upcoming clash in the continental round of 16 will be one to relish.
Summer signing Joao Pedro continued his scoring exploits from last season, contributing two headed goals on his Al-Wahda debut and his strike partner Omar Kharbin matched him with a brace, sending a clear message to UAE Pro League opponents, especially Sharjah, that they mean business.
In turn, facing a tougher opponent, Sharjah needed an added-time goal to settle the derby against Ittihad Kalba, and it was its own marquee signing Bernard who marked his arrival from Everton with an impressive goal.
The Brazilian won the ball near the center circle and embarked on a 40-yard run before slotting home the winner at the death, assuring Sharjah fans that their club has done well to replace Igor Coronado as they aim to go deep into the Asian competition.
Ajman’s new recruits impress to down Al-Nasr
The biggest upset of the opening weekend saw Ajman, who barely avoided relegation last time, put three past Al-Nasr, who finished the previous season in fifth place and won the 2019-20 League Cup.
Having replaced long-serving manager Ayman Al-Ramadi with Goran Tufegdzic, a 49-year-old Serbian with over 15 years of management experience in the Gulf, Ajman wasted no time in stunning its opponent.
Colombian signing Yorleys Mena introduced himself to the league with the pick of first-round goals, chipping goalkeeper Ahmed Shambieh from 35 yards out inside two minutes. Tunisian midfielder Firas Belarbi, who had enjoyed a fine debut season in the UAE Pro League last campaign despite his previous club Fujairah suffering relegation, bagged a double as Ajman started in style. And Brazilian youngster Leandro Spadacio, on loan from Shabab Al-Ahli, was involved in the build up to both of Belarbi’s goals.
It is early days yet, but the trio of attacking talents showed a lot of promise in The Oranges’ first game of the season, and should they carry on as they started, Ajman could be set for a comfortable season away from relegation struggles.
