Al Ain has been crowned the UAE Pro League champion for the 14th time in its history and the first since 2018, after crushing their guest Al Jazira 5-0 on Wednesday, with a standout performance by Togolese striker Laba Kodjo, who scored four goals, in the conclusion of the 23rd round. With three rounds remaining in the tournament, Al Ain increased its tally to 58 points, 10 points ahead of second-placed Sharjah, meaning Sharjah can no longer catch up.
Al Ain, which extended its record with this 14th title, is far ahead of Shabab Al Ahli and Al Wasl (each with 7 titles), also secured the league-cup double after previously winning the Professional League Cup. Al Ain needed a win against Al Jazira to be crowned champion on their home ground in front of their fans, and they achieved this after dominating the game, while the visiting team completely surrendered.
Laba opened the scoring, receiving a pass from Caio Canedo, and sent a low shot into the net past Al Jazira’s goalkeeper Ali Khaseef (15). Laba extended the lead with a second goal from a cross by winger Bandar Al Ahbabi, beautifully heading it over Khaseef (36), and added a third after a pass from Moroccan Sofyan Rahimi (50). Al Ahbabi provided his second assist to Kodjo, who scored the fourth for himself and his team (71), bringing the Togolese striker's tally to 25 goals, leading the scorers' chart.
Canedo concluded the festival by scoring the fifth goal with a header, benefiting from a free kick taken by the Argentine Cristian Juanqa (95).
On the other hand, the task for Emirates to stay in the top league has become difficult after losing to their hosts Ittihad Kalba 3-1, with Hungarian Robert Zoli scoring all three goals (6, 16, and 31), while Ivorian Joseph Kaido scored a consolation goal (78). Emirates remains at the bottom of the table with 10 points, 8 points behind twelfth-placed Dhafra, the last team in a safe spot for survival.
Additionally, Al Nasr won against Shabab Al Ahli with two goals from Sebastian Taliabuy (27) and Israeli Dia Sabaa (68), while Norwegian Thomas Olsen managed a goal for Shabab Al Ahli (86). Al Wasl also defeated Dhafra with a goal from Uruguayan Michael Araujo in the 43rd minute.
