Latest news with #ADIBCup
Gulf Today
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Gulf Today
Al Jazira stun Shabab Al Ahli to clinch second ADIB Cup crown
Al Jazira lifted the ADIB Cup for the second time in their history with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Shabab Al Ahli at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on Saturday night, delivering a memorable performance in front of an electric crowd. The Pride of Abu Dhabi, who first won the ADIB Cup title in the 2019-20 season, struck first in the 18th minute through midfield maestro Abdalla Ramadan, who unleashed a thunderous long-range strike that left the goalkeeper no chance. His rocket of a shot smashed into the back of the net, igniting celebrations among the Jazira faithful and giving his side a crucial early lead. The goal marked Ramadan's fourth in the competition this season, continuing his strong run of form, with his last two goals notably coming against Shabab Al Ahli. Shabab Al Ahli came out firing after the break and were rewarded for their pressure just five minutes into the second half. Iranian forward Sardar Azmoun rose to the occasion, heading the ball powerfully onto the crossbar before pouncing on the rebound to fire home a composed finish from close range. In doing so, Azmoun made history by becoming the first Iranian player to score in an ADIB Cup final, offering his side a glimmer of hope. However, Al Jazira responded almost instantly with a moment of brilliance. Just five minutes after conceding the equaliser, they reclaimed the lead in stunning fashion. Congolese international Neeskens Kebano was at the heart of it, latching onto a beautifully threaded pass from Vinicius Mello. With a burst of pace, Kebano skipped past right-back Kauan Silva and, from a tight angle, slotted a precise shot into the bottom corner. His goal not only secured the win for Jazira but also made history, as he became the first Congolese player to score in an ADIB Cup final. Al Jazira's mix of attacking flair and resolute defending was enough to see out the remainder of the match, as they held off a determined Shabab Al Ahli side to clinch the title. 'We've been navigating a very difficult season, so to come away with a trophy—especially against a team that's leading the Pro League and has already lifted this cup five times—is a tremendous achievement,' said Al Jazira manager Hussein Ammouta. 'It hasn't been an easy journey. There were highs and lows, but winning a title like this brings much-needed confidence to the squad. 'It gives the players belief and motivation to finish the season strong, and of course, it brings immense joy to our fans and club management.' Ammouta, who took over at Al Jazira in July following his remarkable run to the AFC Asian Cup final with Jordan, is no stranger to UAE football, having played for Sharjah during the 2002–2003 season. 'The ADIB Cup was our only realistic shot at silverware this season, and I'm truly delighted that we managed to take it,' the Moroccan coach added. 'The players gave everything tonight. They understood the importance of this match and rose to the occasion for the fans. We created our first real chance in the 12th minute and converted the second. From there, we stayed focused on the essentials—maintaining composure, sticking to the plan, and above all, showing resilience. They never gave up, and that determination made all the difference.' Shabab Al Ahli manager Paulo Sousa acknowledged his team's missed opportunities in front of goal while crediting Al Jazira for their performance. 'We certainly created our chances, but on the night, the better team came out on top,' the Portuguese coach admitted. 'After Jazira took the lead in the first half, we responded well and managed to equalise. However, we couldn't hold on to that momentum for long. We had opportunities to score another goal or two, but it just wasn't our night.' Sousa also reflected on the broader picture, adding: 'Of course, we're disappointed with the result, but it was an entertaining match for the fans. Now, our focus shifts back to the Pro League as we look to maintain our position at the top.' Al Jazira players celebrate with the trophy after winning the ADIB Cup final against Shabab Al Ahli.
Al Etihad
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Al Etihad
Al Jazira bask in glory of much-needed silverware with ADIB Cup title win
Kuumar Shyam (Abu Dhabi) Al Jazira have added a morale-boosting ADIB Cup to their silverware cupboard after a tro-hy drought over the past few seasons. They played out of character and beat strong favourites Shabab Al Ahli 2-1 at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain on Saturday. Having appointed former Jordan coach Hussein Ammouta at the start of the season after Al Jazira finished eighth in the ADNOC Pro League, the 2021 champions are currently better off in sixth with five matches to go. Shabab Al Ahli are runaway leaders in the league while also contesting for the President's Cup final on May 9 where they will meet Sharjah, the conquerors of Al Jazira, in the semi-final. Meanwhile, the plaudits have been pouring in and leading the way is Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Chairman of the UAE Football Association, who congratulated His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of Al Jazira Club, and His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Honorary President of Al Jazira Club. He also praised the efforts of the technical staff, the performance of the players and the support of the fans. Wishing the team more success in the near future, the UAEFA chairman emphasised that Al Jazira have been an important contributor of talented players to the national team, and that its success enhances the strength of Emirati football at home and in international tournaments. The League Cup title, sponsored for a third year by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, was won even with Al Jazira missing key players, which has raised the stock of manager Ammouta, so much so that there are talks of the Iraqi national team approaching the Moroccan to take over. Al Jazira released a statement on Saturday to dismiss the 'rumours'. 'The ADIB Cup was the only title we could win this season and I'm very glad we did it,' Ammouta said. 'It was a great effort from my players. We created the first scoring chance on 12 minutes and scored off the second opportunity. We focused on the important things on the pitch and, above all, the players never gave up on their bid to win this title.' Incidentally, with this victory, Al Jazira have avenged the loss by the same margin when they met Shabab Al Ahli in the final of the same competition in the 2013-2014 season. 'We haven't had success since last winning the Pro League [in 2021] and we celebrate now with the players as well as the management. Of course, it's a joyous moment and hopefully we'll now look at improving our position in the Pro League table,' the Morrocan told Telecom Asia Sport. This ADIB Cup final marked the sixth final between Shabab Al Ahli and Al Jazira in various competitions. In the head to head, Shabab Al Ahli have won 3, while Al Jazira won 2. Al Jazira have now a 50% win-loss record in the finals of the tournament's history. Al Jazira had lost the League Cup title after reaching the final match twice, the first time against Ajman (1-2) in the 2012-2013 season, and again to Shabab Al Ahli the season after that. Al Jazira beat Al Ain in the quarter-finals on penalties (4-2), then Al Jazira overcame Al Wasl in the semi-finals, after losing the first leg by one goal to none, and took the second leg (3-1). 'We entered the match with many influential absences,' Ammouta said, 'but my confidence in the players was great and they were up to expectations. They executed the requirements precisely. We knew the strength of Shabab Al Ahli and worked on them until we achieved victory and won the precious title.' Kebano, who scored the match-winner in the 55th minute, said: 'I am very happy with my first title with Al Jazira. It is a great achievement and a crowning achievement for the players' efforts.'
Al Etihad
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Al Etihad
UAE pick Olaroiu to rescue World Cup qualifying campaign
21 Apr 2025 00:07 Kuumar Shyam (Abu Dhabi)Cosmic Olaroiu has officially been named the national team manager of the UAE football team after his appointment was confirmed just before the ADIB Cup final in Al Ain, where Al Jazira beat Shabab Al Ahli to the Romanian has spent 10 seasons and several stints in the UAE as manager of Al Ain, Al Ahli and current club Sharjah, where he has fashioned a revival at one of the most successful sides historically in the UAE. Sharjah have reached the final of the Asian Champions League Two division in a year when Al Ain were the main division title holders, Al Wasl and Shabab Al Ahli have fallen by the is a testament to Olaroiu's reputation as a manager of mettle, and his credentials could be a timely boost for the UAE's qualification for the 2026 World Cup. Olaroiu's arrival comes after the UAE Football Association parted ways with Paulo Bento with only two matches left in the Asian qualifying round, where the top two teams from three groups secure an automatic berth. The UAE are third in Group A, behind Uzbekistan in second and the already-qualified face Uzbekistan at home on June 5 in a crucial clash to stay in the hunt. The UAE's final fixture is away to Kyrgyzstan five days away on June 10. Olaroiu inherits a team with more naturalised players in the mix and available for is unclear yet how his national duties will impact the rest of his tenure at the numbers, should UAE win both their games and Uzbekistan draw against Qatar in their final encounter, the UAE would have the advantage of superior goal difference. It could also be a good idea to keep up the scoring should it matter in case the UAE end up finishing third on the table. The three best third-placed teams go into a play-offs to take one berth in the Finals in the last round of was also a strong contender in 2016, but that didn't materialise. In 2021, a precious watch of Olaroiu's was stolen, but the Dubai police managed to recover the clock ticking on UAE's hopes, it remains to be seen if the Romanian can now return favour by aiding the team's passage to the Finals in United States, Canada and Mexico next June. He previously coached Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal and Qatar's Al Sadd, who won the domestic league on Saturday, and the Saudi Arabia national team at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia. Olaroiu won the Chinese Super League title in 2020 with Jiangsu Suning before taking over as Sharjah head coach in 2021.
Arab News
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Al-Jazira stun star-studded Shabab Al-Ahli and take ADIB Cup final glory
AL-AIN: Abdullah Ramadan's remarkable 40-yard wonder strike and fancy footwork from ex-Fulham winger Neeskens Kebano helped fire underdogs Al-Jazira to a deserved 2-1 ADIB Cup final victory against star-studded Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai Club on Saturday night. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Hazza bin Zayed Stadium was a fitting setting for Saturday's epic showpiece between two heavyweights of the UAE game. On the day, Sharjah's serial winner Cosmin Olaroiu was confirmed as new national team head coach, prize midfielder Ramadan shook off an injury-ravaged campaign and generated a jaw-dropping reminder of his mesmerising talents on 18 minutes by blasting in from range. This slender advantage for Adnoc Pro League's distant sixth-placed side against the runaway leaders would evaporate five minutes into the second half when prolific Iranian forward Sardar Azmoun followed up his own effort to level. But the momentum of Paulo Sousa's men was immediately checked on 55 minutes when DR Congo flyer Kebano produced a series of beguiling stepovers and lashed into the bottom corner. Shabab Al-Ahli continued to predictably boss possession with 62 percent, and attempts on goal (17-9), although theynever truly looked like mounting a comeback to avoid this term's first domestic defeat. The final whistle handed the spirited Pride of Abu Dhabi their second ADIB Cup crown and just third trophy since the 2017-2018 season off. Arab News looks at some key talking points from the decider: A new era for Jazira The 2024-2025 season has been a time of change for Jazira. Club legend and record goal scorer Ali Mabkhout made a high-profile summer departure to Al-Nasr, while they began this campaign without a permanent Dutch manager at the helm for the first time since Brazilian Abel Braga's mistaken summer 2015 return. Bold calls that have not always appeared judicious via mixed fortunes under Morocco's Hussein Ammouta. This, however, felt like a fork in the road. Big-name stars stood up tall, France's World Cup 2018 winning playmaker Nabil Fekir oozed class with every silky touch and ex-Arsenal stalwart Mohamed Elneny battled hard from an unfamiliar centre-back role. Ammouta's residual capacity to inspire, as shown with shock 2023 AFC Asian Cup finalists Jordan, was also on display. Heroes emerged across the pitch — including starlets Mamadou Coulibaly, Vinicius Mello, Ravil Tagir and Ilyass Lagrimi. This could be the start of something very special. Shabab Al-Ahli continue to stumble at the finishing line Another big game, another big disappointment for Shabab Al-Ahli. ADIB Cup final defeat follows elimination in the AFC Champions League Elite play-off round to Qatar's unexceptional Al-Gharafa and penalty shootout defeat to rivals Sharjah in the AFC Champions League Two quarter-finals. This campaign could finish with the Adnoc Pro League, President's Cup, Qatar–UAE Challenge Shield and Emaar Super Cup trophies residing at Rashid Stadium. Yet there is a sense of immense potential being left unfulfilled. UAE wide men Yahya Al-Ghassani and unused substitute Harib Abdalla could certainly use some more game time, while fellow international Sultan Adil may further freshen up their attack after a lengthy absence. A monstrous 11-point league gap — albeit with second-placed Sharjah holding a game in hand — gives opportunity for experimentation. A final worthy of the fanfare Pre-match ceremonies often feel like duds after kick-off. This engrossing final, however, most certainly was not. Early entertainment sparked by traditional dancers allied with booming pyrotechnics before kick-off reached its high point upon the novel sight of sponsors ADIB's ATM dispensing the match ball. Nobody watching felt short-changed about what followed. Styles make fights and Jazira's counter-punching approach took the shine off glittering Shabab Al-Ahli. Urged on by a strong crowd in Al-Ain, this was a chance for UAE football to show off. It surely did.
The National
20-04-2025
- Sport
- The National
'We gave everything': Al Jazira stun UAE Pro League leaders Shabab Al Ahli to lift ADIB Cup
Struggling in mid table and 21 points behind the runaway Pro League leaders Shabab Al Ahli, Al Jazira came up trumps in the ADIB League Cup at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on Saturday. Abdalla Ramadan put them ahead on 18 minutes. Sardar Azmoun equalised five minutes into the second half but it took just another five minutes for Frenchman Neeskens Kebano to regain the lead for their first silverware since winning the Pro League in 2021. It was also the second time Jazira had won the competition after success in the 2009-2010 season. 'We are going through a very tough season and to win a trophy against a side who are leading the Pro League race and won the cup five times already was a great effort,' said Jazira manager Hussein Ammouta, the former Jordan coach who has been the subject of interest from the Iraqi FA who are seeking to fill their vacant national team post. 'There were both good and bad moments during the season but winning a title provides the players the confidence to carry on with some good performances in the remainder of the season, and certainly providing immense joy to the fans and our management.' Ammouta took charge of Jazira in July, five months after leading Jordan to a historic Asian Cup final. He is also no stranger to the UAE having played for Sharjah in the 2002-2003 season. 'The ADIB Cup was the only title we could win this season and I'm very glad we did it tonight,' the Moroccan added. 'It was a great effort from my players. They were aware this was the only trophy we could win this season and they gave everything to win for their fans tonight. 'We created the first scoring chance on 12 minutes and scored off the second opportunity. We focussed on the important things on the pitch and above all the players never gave up on their bid to win this title. 'I always believe in teamwork. I believe that what happened tonight, and the achievement of this victory, is a result of our efforts. Our administration had a very big role in the success of the team. 'I always believe in the work of the entire team, which are the players and the management. Sometimes, there are difficult times but I believe Jazira can take a lot of positives forward from the ADIB Cup.' It was a close game with Shabab Al Ahli unlucky not to equalise when Azmoun's effort from close range ricocheted off the near post in added time. 'It indeed was a high level game. There was a good atmosphere and a tactical presence. I think my team deserved this win,' Ammouta added. Commenting on the success, the Jazira captain and long serving goalkeeper Ali Khaseif said winning one of the three domestic titles was an achievement worth celebrating. 'All teams play for the trophies and achieving it is a great joy to the players, fans and to our management,' he said. 'We haven't had success since last winning the Pro League [in 2021] and tonight we celebrate. Of course it's a joyous moment and hopefully we'll now look in improving our position in the Pro League table.' Ramadan, who scored with a stunning long-range effort, said his father sent him a text message before the match with instructions. 'He texted me to shoot at the goal as powerfully as I could from wherever I got space and that's exactly what I did. It was in my mind all through the game and that goal set us up for the win,' he said with a smile. The Shabab Al Ahli manager Paulo Sousa was gracious in defeat and pointed out his players couldn't find the final touch from the scoring opportunities they created. 'We certainly had our chances but it was the better team on the night,' the Portuguese manager said. 'We came back strongly after Jazira took the lead in the first half. We scored the equaliser but couldn't hold on to it for long. We also had chances to score a goal or two but that didn't happen. 'Obviously we are disappointed. It was a good game for the fans and now we move on to the Pro League to maintain our lead.'
