Al Dhafra  held to a 1–1 draw against their hosts Ittihad Kalba in the match that took place on Thursday evening, Feb. 26 at Kalba Stadium, as part of Round 18 of the ADNOC Pro League.

The encounter was characterized by caution and competitiveness, particularly during the first half, which saw a balanced performance from both sides. Play was mostly concentrated in midfield, with limited attempts on goal. Al Dhafra tried on several occasions to threaten Kalba’s goal, but the final touch lacked precision, while the team also struggled to break through the opponent’s compact defensive setup. The first half eventually ended in a goalless draw.

At the start of the second half, Al Dhafra’s head coach made a tactical adjustment by introducing Ryan Yaslam in place of Zakaria Mohammed in an attempt to boost the attacking line and increase effectiveness in front of goal. The tempo of the match increased relatively as both teams looked to open the scoring.

Midway through the second half, Al Dhafra were forced into an injury substitution as Ryan Yaslam left the field, with Marcelinho coming on as his replacement.

Ittihad Kalba took the lead in the 79th minute following a quick counterattack that was successfully converted. Al Dhafra’s technical staff responded immediately with a substitution in the 80th minute, bringing on Wellington in place of Ibrahim Bayesh.

Al Dhafra then intensified their attacking pressure in search of an equalizer, which eventually came through Marcelinho after a series of attempts and sustained pressure on Kalba’s defense. Al Dhafra maintained their superiority in the remaining minutes as the hosts retreated into their defensive half, creating several clear chances that could have secured a late winner before the referee blew the final whistle, confirming a 1–1 draw.