Al Ain stay top of Adnoc Pro League with hard-fought win at Baniyas

Togolese forward Kodjo scores fourth goal in three games as Garden City club maintain perfect start to season

Laba Kodjo celebrates after firing in the winner in Al Ain’s 1-0 win at Baniyas. Photo: PLC

Laba Kodjo netted his fourth goal in three games as Al Ain beat Baniyas 1-0 on Saturday to stay top of the Adnoc Pro League.

The Togolese forward's 11th-minute header from a Soufiane Rahimi cross was enough to ensure all three points for the Garden City club for their third win in as many games.

Al Ain are on nine points with Sharjah but they go on top of the table by virtue of a better goal average.

Baniyas, runners up last season, remain in the bottom four with a solitary point from three games.

It is the first time Al Ain had strung together three consecutive wins since the 2018/19 season, and was their first victory at Baniyas in seven years.

Al Jazira bounced back from last week's stalemate at Khorfakkan with a win over Al Nasr at the Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium.

Marcel Keizer’s side ran out 2-1 winners1 courtesy of goals from Oumar Traore and Zayed Al Ameri. Sebastian Tagliabue pulled one back in added time but it was too little and too late for the visitors.

Traore put Jazira ahead just past the hour. The Malian midfielder made a darting run before finding the back of the net with a clinical finish from outside the area.

Al Ameri doubled the lead a minute into added time before Tagliabue headed in a corner.

Shabab Al Ahli were held to a 1-1 draw by the promoted Al Orooba at the Fujairah Stadium while Ajman picked up their fourth point of the campaign thanks to a 1-1 draw at Kalba.

Shabab Al Ahli’s Brazilian forward Carlos Eduardo tapped home a rebound after Mohammed Juma’s stinging shot that came off the left post for a 28th-minute lead.

Al Orooba found the net for the first time in three games when Ahmed Moosa fired in a ball that fell on his path for the equaliser on 39 minutes.