Dubai: Al Ain secured the Arabian Gulf League title with three games to spare on Friday after second-placed Al Jazira lost 4-2 at home to mid-table Bani Yas.
The Boss had taken their championship lead to 10 points with a 4-0 win at home to already-relegated Ittihad Kalba on Thursday thanks to goals from Miroslav Stoch, Jires Kembo Ekoko, Omar Abdul Rahman and Asamoah Gyan.
Al Jazira failed to reduce that deficit 24 hours later after conceding early goals from Bani Yas’ Joan Verdu, Mohammad Al Jaber and Bandar Ahbabi. Mirko Vucinic pulled one back only for Mohammad Nasr to make it four before Jonathon Pitroipa netted a late consolation.
The result extended Al Ain’s record for most league title wins to 12 in 41 editions, with this being their first championship win since 2012/13.
At the other end of the table, Ajman’s 2-2 draw at home to Al Shabab left them hanging onto survival by a thread. Nine points now separate 13th-placed Ajman from 12th-placed Al Dhafra with three games remaining. On head-to-heads both sides have drawn 1-1 in their previous two encounters together this season meaning should things end level on points between the pair, Ajman’s far inferior goal difference will end up counting against them.
Second-half goals from Ajman’s Rafael Crivallero and Boris Kabi cancelled out first half efforts from Al Shabab’s Carlos Villanueva and Abdullah Faraj in that game.
Al Dhafra meanwhile, had lost 2-1 at home to Al Wahda on Thursday with goals from Damien Diaz and Mohammad Alakbari either side of Makhete Diop’s effort sealing victory for The Maroons. Fourth-placed Al Wahda are now level on points with third-placed Al Shabab, three points off second-placed Al Jazira, as the battle to finish as high as possible heats up with three games to go.
Emirates confirmed safety with a 2-2 draw away to Al Wasl on Friday, sparing them the worry of having to win their crucial second head-to-head away to Ajman next month, after having lost their earlier encounter 2-0 at home to the Orange Brigade in December.
Goals from Luiz Enrique and Jamal Ebrahim were cancelled out by a second half brace from Fabio de Lima. The game would have frustrated fifth-placed Al Wasl who are now seven points off fourth-placed Al Wahda and an Asian Champions League spot.
Elsewhere, sixth placed Al Ahli drew 2-2 at home to seventh-placed Al Nasr on Thursday with The Blue Wave’s Hussain Juma and Mahmoud Khamis pegging back earlier efforts from The Red Knight’s Ahmad Khalil and Osama Assaidi.
In another mid-table contest Fujairah beat Sharjah 2-1 on Friday, Yousuf Saeed getting Sharjah’s consolation after earlier goals from Khalil Khamis and Boubacar Sanogo had already sealed the win.
