Al Ain thump Kalba to maintain perfect start to Adnoc Pro League

Defending champions Al Jazira edge out Emirates in five-goal thriller to go second

Laba Kodjo scores to put Al Ain 2-1 ahead in their Adnoc Pro League match against Kalba. Courtesy PLC

Al Ain maintained their perfect start to the Adnoc Pro League season with a 4-1 thrashing of Kalba at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on Friday.

The writing was on the wall for Kalba after only two minutes as Moroccan Soufian Rahimi opened the scoring. Laba Kodjo doubled the lead eight minutes later and added a second for Al Ain to go into the break with a 3-0 lead.

Kalba pulled one back when Peniel Mlapa intercepted a back pass from Al Ain defender Mohammed Abbas on the hour but Al Ain sealed victory a minute later through Argentine midfielder Guanca to take his team’s tally to 12 points to begin the campaign.

“It has been a good start for us and hopefully we can maintain it for as long as possible,” Rahimi said.

“We started well by scoring twice in the first 10 minutes and that made our task easier. I’m glad I was able to help my team with the opening goal. Obviously we are happy with the result tonight.”

Al Jazira overcame bottom club Emirates 3-2 at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium

Malian midfielder Oumar Troure broke the deadlock three minutes into the second half and Ali Makhbout doubled Jazira's lead with his first goal of the season on 72 minutes.

Goseph Gnado pulled reduced the arrears for Emirates on 79 minutes but the home side regained the two-goal lead two minutes later through Bruno de Oliveira.

The defending champions then had to endure a tense finale after Lithierry Silva closed the gap for Emirates four minutes but the defending champions held out till the final whistle to take their tally to 10 points to go second.

Al Orooba earned a point on the road following a 1-1 draw against 10-man Ajman.