Author: Ali Qurashi

Al Dhafra lost its match against Al Nassr by two goals to none, in the match that brought them together on Friday evening at Al Maktoum Stadium in Al Nassr Club, as part of the eighth round of the ADNOC Professional League.

Al Dhafra entered the match with a lineup that included: Amjad Al Sayed in goalkeeping, and in front of him were Ezekiel, Mohsen Al Rabja, Leonard, and Seraphim in the defense line. In the midfield, Ryan Yeslam, Souza, and Rostand Joe participated, while in the attacking line, Mohamed Al-Khilawi, Al-Soussi, and Gudmonson played.

Al Dhafra started the first half with defensive disorganization on Al Dhafra’s part, which led to them conceding two early goals; The first came by mistake in their own net in the fourth minute, while Al Nasr added their second goal from a penalty kick in the 12th minute.

After that, Al Dhafra’s performance improved and it threatened Al Nassr’s goal on more than one occasion, but the team lacked the final touch in front of goal.

In the final minutes of the first half, Al Dhafra defender Mohsen Al Rabja received a second yellow card, and the team completed the match with ten players, which complicated the task of returning the result.

At the beginning of the second half, Al Dhafra coach made a change by replacing Rayan Yaslam with Ibrahim Al Hosani, in an attempt to restore the team’s defensive balance, but the numerical shortage gave Al Nassr the advantage in possession and control. The technical staff also made other substitutions, with Mansour Al-Harbi, Marcelinho, and Rangel replacing Rostand Joe, Ezequiel, and Gudmonson.

Al Dhafra’s suffering increased after Leonard received a direct red card in the 73rd minute, so the team completed the match with nine players. As a result, Al-Soussi left and Firas Al-Khasibi entered with the aim of restoring defensive balance.

Although Al Nassr controlled the game in the remaining minutes, the score remained unchanged until the end of the match, with Al Dhafra losing 2-0.

With this loss, Al Dhafra’s score froze at 12 points in sixth place, while Al Nassr raised its score to 11 points, advancing to seventh place before the end of the eighth round matches.

At 4:40 pm today, Friday, the first football team of Al Dhafra Club will be a guest of its brother Al Nasr, in the match that brings them together at Rashid Stadium in the eighth round of the ADNOC Professional League.

Al Dhafra enters the match with renewed ambitions after the recent break, seeking to continue its positive performances and maintain the good image it showed during the past rounds.

During the press conference introducing the match, Montenegrin Zeljko Petrovic, Al Dhafra’s technical director, confirmed Al Dhafra’s desire to continue on the same path and present enjoyable attacking football that reflects the team’s identity and comprehensive style.

On the other hand, the home team, Al-Nasr, is looking forward to improving its position in the standings, and moving out of its current position to a better position that suits the club’s history and the ambitions of its fan base.

Al Dhafra occupies sixth place with 12 points, while Al Nasr stands in ninth place with 8 points.

Good luck to Al Dhafra players in providing a strong performance and achieving a positive result.

Montenegrin Zeljko Petrovic, the technical director of Al Dhafra Club, expressed his happiness after the well-deserved 3-0 victory over Ittihad Kalba in the seventh round of the ADNOC Pro League, confirming that the team delivered one of its best performances this season.

This came during the post-match press conference held shortly after the end of the match at Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Stadium in Zayed City.

The Al Dhafra coach described the match as “very impressive,” noting that Al Dhafra faced a tough team with high quality, which had previously delivered high-level performances against heavyweight teams, and is known for its ability to maintain possession for long periods. He added: “Al Dhafra was at its best today, especially in the first half, during which we delivered an enjoyable performance.”

Petrovic expressed his great pride in his players who raised the team’s tally to 12 points at the end of the seventh round, confirming that these results make him happy and indicate a clear improvement in the group’s performance.

The coach explained that his main task is to keep the team in the Pro League, which he described as strong and difficult, due to the presence of seven big and competitive clubs like Al Ain, Al Wasl, Al Wahda, Al Nasr, and others. He added that he seeks to present a team that plays like the big ones, because he believes in exciting attacking football, saying: “I’m a coach who loves good play and doesn’t rely on pure defense.”

Petrovic emphasized that football is essentially based on players’ confidence in themselves and in their technical and medical staff, praising the fitness coach who has supervised the team’s preparation since the beginning of the season, along with the rest of the staff who work with great diligence and effort.

At the end of his speech, Petrovic congratulated everyone on this victory, especially thanking the chairman of Al Dhafra Club’s board of directors for his continuous support of the team and providing all its needs, revealing that he told his players before the match that he wanted to win for him. The Montenegrin coach also renewed his emphasis on the importance of this victory before the break period that extends for about twenty days, including a one-week vacation, indicating that the team will return afterwards to continue working with the aim of maintaining its position in the ADNOC Pro League.

Al Dhafra secured a resounding and well-deserved 3-0 victory over Ittihad Kalba in their match held this Saturday evening at Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Stadium in Zayed City, as part of the seventh round of the ADNOC Pro League.

The match began cautiously, with both teams carefully analyzing each other’s tactics and identifying strengths and weaknesses, while also attempting to establish control in midfield. After the first quarter of an hour, Al Dhafra began to take the initiative, dictating the tempo through attacks from both the center and the flanks. However, they squandered several opportunities due to a lack of composure and some bad luck.

In the 19th minute, Al Dhafra took the lead with a goal that came from a cross by Serafim, which was inadvertently headed into his own net by an Ittihad Kalba defender.

Following the goal, Al Dhafra continued to dominate, coming close to adding a second goal on several occasions, before the referee blew the whistle for halftime with Al Dhafra leading 1-0.

As the second half began, Ittihad Kalba tried to apply early pressure to equalize, but Al Dhafra’s solid defense thwarted these attempts, allowing the “Knights of Al Dhafra” to regain control starting in the 60th minute.

In the 69th minute, Al Barkawi left the field, replaced by Abdulrahman Susi. Just two minutes later, Al Khalawi scored Al Dhafra’s second goal following a well-organized counter-attack.

In the 71st minute, Al Dhafra’s coach made his second substitution, bringing on Mansour Al Harbi for Rayan Yaslam. Al Dhafra continued to press for a third goal, which came courtesy of substitute Abdulrahman Susi after he converted a precise cross from Ezekiel.

The match continued without any significant changes to the flow of the game, except for the three substitutions made by Al Dhafra’s coach, who brought on Ibrahim Al Hosani, Marcelinho, and Abdullah Dafaa in place of Souza, Al Khalawi, and Serafim.

The score remained unchanged until the referee blew the final whistle, declaring Al Dhafra the winners with a 3-0 victory.

With this victory, Al Dhafra raises its points tally to 12, securing fifth place, while Ittihad Kalba remains on 11 points in seventh place, pending the completion of the seventh round of matches.

Congratulations to Al Dhafra, and may they achieve further victories in the upcoming rounds.

Al Dhafra’s first football team will host Ittihad Kalba at 5:00 PM today, Saturday, at Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Stadium in Zayed City, in a match considered a crucial milestone for both teams this season.

The importance of the match, which is part of the seventh round of the ADNOC Pro League, stems from the close standings of the two teams and their desire to secure their positions early before the expected fluctuations in the league table.

Al Dhafra enters the match aiming to reach twelfth point, taking advantage of home ground and fan support, in addition to their impressive home record where they have achieved a perfect record in previous matches. Ittihad Kalba, on the other hand, enters the match buoyed by their third-place position before the start of the round, hoping to reclaim it with a victory and reach fourteen points, thus solidifying their place in the top four.

Al Dhafra will be buoyed by positive morale after putting their elimination from the President’s Cup behind them, having delivered one of their best performances of the season despite not qualifying. During preparations, the coaching staff, led by Montenegrin Zeljko Petrovic, focused on addressing the shortcomings of the last match and devising a suitable tactical plan to counter one of the most formidable teams known for its strong defensive performances away from home.

Al Dhafra currently sits in seventh place with nine points, while Ittihad Kalba is in fifth with 11 points after the start of this round of matches, making this encounter a crucial six-pointer.

We wish Al Dhafra the best of luck in delivering a strong performance and securing a victory.