Bani Yas secured a 2-1 win over Al Orooba as part of Matchweek 19 of the ADNOC Pro League on Thursday night at Bani Yas Stadium.
A brilliant brace from Youssoufou Niakaté secured all three points for the hosts, while Al Orooba’s search for a first win continues.
Niakaté opened the scoring early in the 14th minute after a high press forced a defensive error.
Arnaud Lusamba won the ball and delivered a perfectly timed assist, allowing Niakaté to slot home the opener with composure.
Despite falling behind, Al Orooba responded with determination. In the 27th minute, Solomon-Otabor leveled the score with a fierce strike, capping off a well-worked attacking move.
The equalizer shifted the momentum briefly, and Bani Yas had a second goal ruled out by VAR due to offside.
Before the first half ended, tension boiled over on the Bani Yas bench. Head coach Daniel Isăilă was shown a red card after repeated protests against refereeing decisions.
The second half delivered end-to-end action.
Al Orooba’s goalkeeper pulled off a series of impressive saves to deny Bani Yas a breakthrough, while the visitors also pressed forward in search of a lead.
Bani Yas had another goal disallowed for offside, as frustration grew on both sides.
Persistence paid off late in the match.
In the 77th minute, Niakaté struck again.
This time, he latched onto a clever pass from Khamis Al Mansoori, dribbled past the defense and the goalkeeper, and calmly finished to restore Bani Yas’s lead.
The result lifts Bani Yas to 22 points and into 10th place in the standings. Al Orooba, meanwhile, remain rooted at the bottom with just 3 points.
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