Clash of the Emirates Cup: Four Teams, One Deadline
29 November 2025
Stakes and setup
The Emirates Cup quarterfinals return legs wrap up this Sunday evening with two matches: Al-Wasl vs Al-Jazira at Zabeel Stadium in Dubai, and Khorfakkan vs Al-Wahda at Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi Stadium, as the four clubs still have a slim shot of reaching the semis after the first legs ended in draws.
The first legs ended with a 2-2 between Al-Wahda and Khorfakkan in Abu Dhabi and a goalless draw between Al-Wasl and Al-Jazira at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, keeping the ties finely poised.
Head-to-head and key statistics
Al-Wasl and Al-Jazira head into the rematch hoping to clinch a semifinal spot, each with players able to turn the tie in their favor. Historically, Jazira has a slight edge in this competition with seven wins to four for Al-Wasl and four draws, totaling 56 goals.
Al-Wasl boast a strong home record at Zabeel, avoiding draws in 19 consecutive home Cup games, with 14 wins and 5 losses, including a six-match winning streak. In this quarterfinal round, Jazira has played 13 matches, with four wins, five losses and four draws; Al-Wasl has five wins, two draws and two losses.
Khorfakan and Al-Wahda share a balanced dynamic, having drawn 2-2 in the first leg and each side securing one win in their three prior Cup meetings, with the other game finishing in a draw.
On home soil, Khorfakan have not won in their last eight home Cup matches, recording four draws and four defeats; their last win at home came in October 2021 against Al-Wahda. Al-Wahda has a better Cup quarterfinal record, with 6 wins, 4 draws and 3 losses in 13 quarterfinal appearances, though last season’s memory of exiting after a late loss to Sharjah still lingers.
Key attackers Dušan Taditić and Omar Khribin are central to Al-Wahda’s attack; Taditić assisted the last three goals, while Khribin has scored three of the last four. Both clubs are level on overall Cup goals against each other, five apiece.
Punchline time: If this tie ends level again, the trophy committee will likely hire a flip coin with a built-in confetti cannon. And if all else fails, I predict a dramatic post-match snack break—the real winner might just be the halftime tea.
