Al Ain kicked off their ADIB Cup journey with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Kalba in the first leg of Gameweek 1 on Sunday at Kalba Club Stadium. This intense encounter saw both teams battling fiercely, with the second leg set for Saturday, September 7.
Al Ain's attack began to shine early on, and they took the lead in the 19th minute when Daraman Komari scored, capitalizing on a well-placed pass from Alejandro Romero.
Kalba responded with a determined effort to push forward, but Al Ain's defense held strong, allowing the visitors to maintain their momentum. Just before halftime, Al Ain doubled their lead when Laba Kodjo latched onto another assist from Romero, finishing with precision to make it 2-0.
This goal marked Laba's return to scoring in the ADIB Cup after a lengthy 837-day gap since his last goals in the 2021-2022 final against Shabab Al Ahli.
In the second half, Kalba showed signs of improvement but struggled to contain Al Ain's relentless attack.
Al Ain extended their lead to 3-0 in the 66th minute when Sekou Baba scored, again with the help of Romero, who had a hand in all three of Al Ain's goals.
Kalba managed to pull one back in the 79th minute through a long-range effort by Caio Germano, reducing the deficit to 3-1. The closing stages of the match saw both teams exchanging attacks, with Kalba earning a penalty in the 85th minute, which S. Moghanlou converted to bring the score to 3-2.
Despite Kalba's late resurgence, Al Ain managed to maintain their composure, securing the win as the final whistle blew.
Send feedback
