Shabab Alahli secures ADNOC Professional League after winning Bani Yas in the 25th matchweek
Shabab Alahli officially won the ADNOC Professional League title for the 2022-2023 season, after defeating its host Bani Yas 2-1 in the match that took place on Sunday evening at Al Shamkha Stadium in Abu Dhabi, at the end of the 25th round of the competition.
Shabab Alahli won the shield for the eighth time in its history, and before the last round of the competition, after raising its score to 54 at the top of the ranking table, so that Al-Ahly youth’s confrontation against Ajman in the last round became a foregone conclusion, while Bani Yas’ balance stopped at 23 points in the 10th place. 11.
Shabab Alahli won the title in the seasons 1974-1975, 1975-1976, 1979-1980, 2005-2006, 2008-2009, 2013-2014, and 2015-2016.
And the celebrations of Shabab Alahli fans began immediately after the end of the match, celebrating the eighth title in the club’s history, and its fourth since the application of professionalism in the 2008-2009 season.
Bani Yas advanced first through Sasha Ivkovic in the 61st minute, and Aziz Janiev equalized for Shabab Alahli in the 70th minute, before Yahya Al-Ghassani snatched the second goal and the winning goal in the 73rd minute.
Shabab Alahli tried to press hard at the beginning of the match to snatch the first goal and facilitate his mission in the match, but he faced good defense from the Bani Yas players.
Shabab Alahli managed to control the ball for most of the match, and possessed an offensive advantage, as the team was able to threaten the goal of Fahd Al-Dhanhani, the Bani Yas goalkeeper.
The first shot in the match came from Kartabia in the 16th minute, but it passed safely at Al-Samawi goal, followed by another shot from Aziz Janiev in the 20th minute, but it went wide of the goal.
Yahya Al-Ghassani dealt carelessly with Kartabia's pass inside the penalty area, to miss a dangerous opportunity for Shabab Alahli in the 22nd minute.
Shabab Al-Ahly intensified their offensive pressure on the Bani Yas defense, and the crossbar denied the "Forsan" the goal of progress in the 28th minute after Brazilian Yuri Cesar's shot was returned, while Yahya Al-Ghassani's attempt in the 30th minute passed over the crossbar.
Bani Yas had no offensive presence in the first half of the match, except for a dangerous opportunity in the 33rd minute, after the ball reached Gaston Suarez, who penetrated into the area and played the ball towards the goal, but defender Muhammad Marzouk turned it away for a corner.
Yahya Al-Ghassani continued the series of wasting chances, one after the other, after he missed an outright one-on-one with goalkeeper Fahd Al-Dhanhani and knocked the ball away from the goal in the 40th minute.
The referee changed his decision to expel Argentine Gaston Suarez, the Bani Yas midfielder, after returning to video technology, and gave the player a yellow card in the 44th minute.
The crossbar intervened for the second time after Omar Khribin's shot was returned before the end of the first half, which ended in a goalless draw.
In the second half, contrary to expectations, Bani Yas managed to score the lead through a header from Serbian defender Sasha Ivkovic in the 61st minute.
However, the goal did not undermine the determination of the Shabab Alahli players, who succeeded in regaining control, and the Bani Yas goalkeeper excelled in blocking two shots from Ahmed Nourallah.
The pressure of the "Forsan" resulted in the equalizing goal scored by Uzbek Aziz Ganiyev in the 70th minute, after the ball rebounded from the goalkeeper on the edge of the penalty area, and he hit the net with a powerful shot.
Barely three minutes passed until Yahya Al-Ghassani succeeded in snatching the second goal, the winning goal and the championship in the 73rd minute, after the ball reached him and he was alone in the goal to put it easily to the left of Fahd Al-Dhanhani.
Shabab Al-Ahly almost strengthened its progress after it had several opportunities after the second goal, but it did not succeed, after which the match referee blew the final whistle announcing Shabab Alahli’s official victory in the title.