The player continues to deliver outstanding performances this season, becoming the club's all-time top scorer, surpassing Ahmed Abdullah (Al Ain's Gazelle). Today's match will be Kudjoe's 12th appearance against Al-Kalba, where he has scored 11 goals and provided 4 assists in the previous 11 encounters. He is Al Ain's top scorer in head-to-head meetings and the third-highest goalscorer against 'The Tigers' after Ali Mabkhoot (18 goals) and Fabio Lima (14 goals). Al Ain has no choice but to win if they want to keep their hopes of competing for the league title alive, especially after drawing their last match against Al-Wahda, which cost them the lead and the 'Winter Championship'. The team enters the match with a full squad following the return of the Moroccan duo Sofiane Rahimi and Egyptian defender Rami Rabei, after they finished their participation with their national teams at the Africa Cup of Nations. It should be noted that the team felt the impact of their one-month absence. Al-Wahda will host Dubai at Al-Nayan Stadium at 20:00. Theoretically, the odds favor 'The Blues', but the pitch calculations may hold surprises. Al-Wahda will be without the duo of Facundo Daniel and Favour Ogbo, who received straight red cards in the match against Al Ain. In return, the team welcomes back defender Lucas Pimenta, who has served his suspension. 'The Happy Ones' enter the match in high spirits after winning the UAE-Qatar Challenge Cup against Al-Duhail. The team has 26 points, sits in third place, and hopes to regain its balance to keep its title hopes alive. Al-Wahda has a strong home record this season, having not lost in their last 12 matches (7 wins, 5 draws). Moreover, they have never lost to Dubai in 13 previous encounters (10 wins, 3 draws). Meanwhile, Dubai, sitting second-to-last with 9 points, faces significant absences after the dismissals of Iago Azivado and Simon Cabral in their last match against Shabab Al-Ahli, which ended in a 0-7 defeat. This complicates the task for Romanian coach Ciprian Banatea in the team's fight to avoid relegation. Al Ain's all-time top scorer, Togolese forward Laba Kudjoe, returns to Al-Kalba Stadium, where he scored his first goals in the 'Leader's' jersey in September 2019. This comes as his contract with the club nears its end at the end of the current season. The match kicks off today at 17:15 and will open the second leg of the 14th round of the Professional League. 'The Violets' have no option but to win. It falls to Laba Kudjoe to lead his team to victory by continuing to find the net, as his tally has reached 133 goals, equalling club legend Adnan Al-Taliany for fifth place on the all-time top scorers list. Al Ain currently sits in second place with 31 points, one point behind leaders Shabab Al-Ahli, while Al-Kalba is in eighth place with 16 points. Kudjoe joined Al Ain in 2019 on a free transfer from Moroccan side Nadha Bourkane, before renewing his contract in 2023 for a three-year deal expiring this summer.
