When Personal Brilliance Takes Center Stage in the UAE Pro League
30 septembre 2025
Season sparks fly as individuals chase glory in the ADNOC Pro League
The race for the top of the ADNOC Pro League’s individual lists has heated up after five rounds, with players from several clubs contributing to a dynamic early-season narrative.
The lead story remains the ongoing pursuit of the Golden Boot, spearheaded by Togolese forward Laba Kodjo of Al Ain, who again tops the scoring chart as he defends a title he reclaimed last season.
Currently, Kodjo sits on 7 goals. In second place is Karim Barakaoui of Al Dhafra with 6, followed by Elton Felipe (Khorfakan), Mohand Ali Kazem (Diba), and Omar Khrebin (Al Wahda) tied on 3 apiece and sharing third.
On the assist front, Kodjo has been directly involved in 7 goals, while Barakaoui has contributed to 6. Tariq Tisdodali (Khorfakan) has 5, and Elton and Alejandro Romero Kakko (both with 4) are close behind.
Alejandro Romero Kakko (Al Ain) sits atop the assists chart with 22 created chances and 3 assists, followed by Dusan Tadic (Al Wasl) with 15 chances and 3 assists. Federico Cartabia (Shabab Al Ahli) has 13 chances and 3 assists, with Hugo Neto (Al Wasl) and Tariq Tisdodali (Khorfakan) each contributing 8 chances and 2 assists apiece.
In the half-field playmaking metric, Abdullah Ramadan (Al Jazira) leads with 157 successful passes at 84.1% accuracy, ahead of Gustavo Alex (Al Nassr) with 151 and Neto (Al Batih) with 144.
Looking at shot volume, Kodjo again leads with 21 attempts, 10 on target, 7 off-target and 4 blocked. Omar Khrebin (Al Wahda) is next with 17 shots (11 on target, 4 off-target, 2 blocked). Mohand Ali (Diba) is third with 16 attempts (9 on target, 6 off-target, 1 blocked).
In the realm of defensive work, Mohsen Rabja’a (Al Dhafra) tops successful tackles with 23 attempts at 78.3% success, followed by Yihya Bin Khaleq (Al Ain) at 76.5%. Fawzi Al-Masfi (Bani Yas) and Sufian Bouftini (Al Wasl) are tied at 71.4% of 30 tackles. Kaikui Campos (Khorfakan) has 30 tackles with a 70% success rate.
Between the goalposts, Ibrahim Aisa (Al Dhafra) leads with 17 saves, ahead of Ahmed Hamdan (Khorfakan) with 16. Ahmed Shammay (Al Nasr) and Ali Al-Hosani (Ajman) are tied for third with 13 saves; Fadhl Al-Dhinhani (Bani Yas) sits fourth with 11 saves.
It’s worth noting that ADNOC Pro League action was paused after Round Five to accommodate FIFA days, during which the UAE national team will participate in Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
The national team is currently in a Dubai training camp with 31 players, 16 of whom are in daily training sessions. Remaining squad members will join after the conclusion of fixtures involving Sharjah, Shabab Al Ahli, Al Wahda, and Al Wasl in the Elite Asian Champions League and the second-tier AFC Champions League programs.
When the league resumes on 17 October, Round Six will feature Bani Yas vs Al Wahda at Khalifa bin Mohammed Stadium, Sharjah vs Al Dhafra at Sharjah Stadium, and Kalba vs Shabab Al Ahli at Kalba Stadium. On 18 October, Dibba hosts Al Jazira, Al Ain faces Bani Yas at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Ajman takes on Khorfakan at Ras Al Khaimah, and Al Wasl meets Al Nassr at Zabeel in Dubai.
Currently, Al Ain sits atop the table with 13 points, two clear of Al Wahda in second, and three points ahead of Kalba, Shabab Al Ahli, and Al Wasl who chase in the next positions on their respective tiebreakers.
Punchlines: If football is art, these players are the abstract expressionists with a ball-shaped canvas. And if you thought your fantasy team could predict this season—let’s just say your fantasy, like my jokes, needs a transfer window every week.
