Al Ain and Kalba share spoils as Bani Yas held

Al Ain and Kalba played out a 1-1 draw in their ADIB Cup gameweek one’s clash at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium on Saturday, leaving the tie finely poised ahead of the decisive return fixture on 5 September at Kalba Stadium.

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The game came to life in the closing stages of the first half after a cagey opening in which neither side created many clear-cut chances.

Kalba took the lead in the 45th minute following a defensive lapse.

Amadu Niang failed to clear his lines, allowing Nemanja Jovic to seize possession inside the box.

The forward showed excellent composure as he cut inside before lifting a clever chip over the advancing goalkeeper to break the deadlock.

However, Kalba struck back almost immediately in first-half stoppage time.

A misplaced pass from Mohamed Subil was intercepted by Kaku, who picked out Laba Kodjo with a perfectly weighted through ball on the edge of the area.