Wahda vs Fujairah: 2-2 keeps the tie alive
Both Al Wahda and Al Fujairah preserved their hopes of reaching the UAE Pro Cup semifinals by playing to a 2-2 draw at Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi, in the first leg of the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, Al Ain moved a step closer to qualification after beating visiting Sharjah 3-1 at Sharjah Stadium in the first leg of their quarterfinal tie.
Everything remains open ahead of the return legs on 30 November, when Fujairah will host Wahda at Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi Stadium and Al Ain will welcome Sharjah at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
Wahda and Fujairah – match events
Wahda erased a two-goal deficit to level at 2-2, as Fujairah opened the scoring through an own goal by Jadson Da Silva and a strike from Aílton Felipe in the 51st and 80th minutes respectively. Wahda answered with goals from Omar Khribin and Rida Gandhi Bour in the 89th and 99th minutes to rescue a point.
Early chances favored Wahda; a shot from Facundo Daniel in the 8th minute grazed the left post, and a powerful effort from Aílton Felipe in the 20th minute was superbly saved by Wahda’s goalkeeper Zayed Al Hammadi just before the break, leaving the first period goalless.
In the second half, Fujairah struck first through a corner that was diverted into the net by Da Silva in the 51st minute, and the visitors doubled their advantage when Felipe tapped in at the far post in the 80th minute.
Omar Khribin pulled a goal back for Wahda in the 89th minute with a composed finish after a precise move, and Rida Gandhi Bour leveled in stoppage time, heading home from a Tachd’s cross to complete the comeback.
Sharjah vs Al Ain
In the other quarterfinal, Sharjah were overwhelmed as Al Ain ran out 3-1 winners. Hussein Rahimi struck twice (20th and 25th minutes) and Balasios added a late third (90+11), while Igor Coronado pulled one back for Sharjah in the 88th minute. Rahimi’s third was disallowed for offside in the 68th minute, but Al Ain still took a healthy lead into the return leg.
“The first leg is just the start; we know the second leg will demand focus and tactical discipline,” said the coaches after the matches, underscoring that the tie remains very much open.
Later, the focus shifted to the other two first-leg ties as well, with Al Jazira hosting Al Wasl and Shabab Al Ahli welcoming Al Nasr in a traditional Dubai derby, as teams push for a spot in the semis.
In the lead-up to the return legs, coaches emphasized the importance of consistency, depth in squad rotation, and keeping the energy high for two legs rather than a single knockout.
Post-match notes and quotes
Shabab Al Ahli’s Paulo Sousa stressed that facing an opponent with high quality would require steady focus and a collective effort to capitalize on opportunities in the first leg to set up a positive result ahead of the second leg.
Al Nasr’s Slaviša Jokanović highlighted the significance of the two-legged format and warned that nothing is decided yet, urging his squad to remain compact and ruthless in both boxes.
Al Wasl’s Masoud Miral praised the work rate of his players and reminded the club’s supporters that the journey toward glory is a marathon, not a sprint.
Aderlison Silva of Al Wasl added that the team is prepared for the challenges ahead, aiming for a constructive result that would ease the path into the next round.
In closing, the players expressed confidence that the next two legs would decide the fate of the UAE Pro Cup quarterfinals, with fans hoping for more drama and, ideally, a few more goals.
Two punchlines to keep the mood light: 1) Football is the only sniper sport where the target wears the referee’s whistle and still gets applauded for the headshot—goal! 2) If patience is a virtue, then the second leg is a saint; it arrives right before the popcorn-smuggling suspense ends with a roar.
