Al Ahli Youth have firmly reclaimed the top spot in the Professional League after a resounding 7-0 victory over Dibba. The match, held two days ago at Rashid Stadium in the 13th round, allowed the team to finish the first round at the top of the table (32 points), one point ahead of Al Ain, and to be crowned 'Winter Champion' for the eighth time in their history.
This big victory confirmed a clear turnaround in the performance of 'The Knights' in recent times. The team managed to overcome a shaky start and a loss in the Super Cup to Sharjah, after which they put on a series of strong displays that brought them back into the title race. Al Ahli Youth scored 13 goals in their last three matches alone, winning 3-1 against both Al Wasl and Ajman, before achieving their biggest win of the season against Dibba with a clean sheet, conceding only two goals in those three matches.
In turn, Al Ahli Youth Football Company Vice President, Abdulmajid Hussein, stated that the big 7-0 win over Dibba in the 13th round of the league brought the team back to the top of the standings and earned them the 'Winter Champion' title, finishing the first round with a one-point lead over Al Ain.
Abdulmajid Hussein told 'Al-Emarat Al-Youm': 'The win over Dibba came at an important time. Now everyone has the same number of matches, which puts everything completely in our hands. If Al Ahli Youth want to win the league, we need to maintain our lead and win all the remaining matches.'
He added: 'We are happy today, but from tomorrow we must start thinking about the next match. Praise be to God, we benefited from all the postponed matches and did not lose any points. The scoring average has risen sharply after the team scored a large number of goals in the recent rounds, which compensated for the first part of the season.'
He continued: 'The return of a large number of injured players, whether citizens, foreigners, or residents, has given the team additional strength and variety in options. We are waiting for the rest of the players to return so that we can be in the best possible readiness for the next stage, especially with the pressure of overlapping tournaments.'
Regarding the UAE-Qatar Super Cup match to be held next Saturday, he said: 'We face a strong challenge against Al Sadd. Our goal is to win the title for the third time in a row. The next stage is crowded with tournaments: the AFC Champions League, the Shield Cup, the President's Cup, and the league. But the team is capable of handling all these challenges.'
Concluding his remarks, he said: 'We have a team capable of maintaining the lead until the end of the season. We have great confidence in the players and the technical staff. The most important thing is continuity and focus in every match.'
"Quote: 'We have a team capable of maintaining the lead until the end of the season. We have great confidence in the players and the technical staff. The most important thing is continuity and focus in every match.'
"Quote: 'The win over Dibba came at an important time. Now everyone has the same number of matches, which puts everything completely in our hands. If Al Ahli Youth want to win the league, we need to maintain our lead and win all the remaining matches.'
"Quote: 'We face a strong challenge against Al Sadd. Our goal is to win the title for the third time in a row. The next stage is crowded with tournaments: the AFC Champions League, the Shield Cup, the President's Cup, and the league. But the team is capable of handling all these challenges.'
Technical Superiority
The team's statistics at the end of the 13th round show the scale of the technical superiority that Al Ahli Youth are demonstrating. The team has the strongest defense in the league, conceding only three goals with a clear lead over other competitors, and also tops the list of the strongest attacking lines, tying with Al Ain with 27 goals. The team showed a remarkable balance between defensive and offensive performance, giving it a clear advantage in the race for the lead.
Al Ahli Youth being crowned 'Winter Champion' this season carries significant historical meaning. Statistics show that the team has won the league in six of the eight seasons in which they finished the first round in first place: 1975, 1976, 2009, 2014, 2023, and 2025 (the competition was once halted in 2020). Furthermore, the numbers historically confirm that the 'Winter Champion' has gone on to win the league title in 33 out of 47 seasons, which boosts 'The Knights' chances of winning the title.
The return to the top coincided with the return of a large number of injured players, whether citizens, foreigners, or residents, which has clearly reflected on the team's collective performance and physical readiness, especially with the pressure of matches and overlapping tournaments in the next stage.
Al Ahli Youth are preparing for a series of consecutive challenges, starting with the match against Al Sadd (Qatar) in the UAE-Qatar Super Cup, where they will be aiming to win the title for the third time in a row, as well as continuing their journey in the AFC Champions League, the President's Cup, and the league.
