Al Ain football team has advanced to the semi-finals of the UAE Pro League Cup (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Cup) after defeating Al Sharjah 3-1 away from home. The match, held on Saturday in the vibrant emirate, was the first leg of the quarter-finals.
Moroccan player Hussein Rahimi emerged as the star of the match, scoring both winning goals for Al Ain. He opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a well-placed header following a cross from Rafael Rodriguez. Just five minutes later, he added a second goal, capitalizing on a brilliant pass from Kodjo Laba to face the Al Sharjah goalkeeper one-on-one.
Al Ain completely dominated the first half, taking advantage of Al Sharjah's tactical and strategic decline, as their players were unable to keep up with the visiting team for 45 minutes.
In the second half, Al Sharjah attempted to narrow the gap, creating several opportunities. Igor Cornado managed to pull a goal back with a long-range strike in the 88th minute. However, Matias Palacios restored Al Ain's lead with a long-range goal in the 90+10th minute.
