Ajman Stun Al-Wahda 3-2 in ADNOC Pro League 2026-2027 Opener

Ajman Stun Al-Wahda 3-2 in ADNOC Pro League 2026-2027 Opener

Al Nahyan Stadium – Matchday 1 – Friday, August 14, 2026

Match Summary

Ajman opened their new ADNOC Pro League campaign with a thrilling 3-2 win over hosts Al-Wahda, in a match that saw the lead change through decisive attacking moments and a costly defensive error, at Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

The result came as a surprise to Al-Wahda's supporters, who had entered the season with title ambitions following a notable summer of reinforcements, only to see their side fall to Ajman, who claimed their first-ever win over Al-Wahda in a season-opening fixture after losing the previous two.

Match Information

Goal Timeline

• 5' — Lourency Nascimento puts Ajman ahead (0-1)

• 51' — Victor Henrique doubles Ajman's lead (0-2)

• 77' — Mohammed Ghorbani pulls one back for Al-Wahda (1-2)

• 83' — Victor Henrique scores his second personal goal to restore Ajman's two-goal cushion (1-3)

• 90+4' — Ibrahima Diarra scores Al-Wahda's second in stoppage time (2-3)

First Half

Ajman came out of the blocks with real intensity, catching Al-Wahda's defense off guard early when Lourency Nascimento opened the scoring in just the 5th minute, putting his side in a comfortable position from the outset. Al-Wahda  whose Brazilian coach Percy Chamusca had spoken before kick-off about building a "winning mentality tried to regain their footing but could not turn their share of possession into clear-cut chances, and the first half ended with the visitors leading 0-1.

Second Half

Ajman returned from the break with the same sharpness and quickly doubled their advantage through Victor Henrique in the 51st minute, putting the hosts in a difficult position. Al-Wahda pushed forward in search of a way back into the game and were rewarded when Mohammed Ghorbani scored in the 77th minute, reviving hope among the home faithful.

The turning point, however, arrived in the 83rd minute, when Al-Wahda goalkeeper Zayed Al Hammadi committed a catastrophic error, letting the ball slip through his hands. Victor Henrique pounced on the mistake to score his second goal of the match  and his side's third  dealing a heavy blow to Al-Wahda's morale.

Al-Wahda kept pushing until the final whistle, and Ibrahima Diarra managed to pull back a second goal deep into stoppage time (90+4'), but there was no time left for the hosts to find an equalizer, and the match ended in a 3-2 win for Ajman.

Context and Implications

• This marked the third consecutive season in which Al-Wahda and Ajman have met on opening day, after Al-Wahda won the previous two editions of the fixture (0-2, then 2-0)  making this Ajman's first win in this recurring season-opening meeting.

• Al-Wahda entered the new season with optimism following a summer of notable signings  including Asher Agbinone, Facundo, Amanallah Mujahid, and Rene Rivas  and a preseason training camp in Germany that coach Chamusca described as "highly successful," although the squad was not yet fully complete at kick-off.

• Victor Henrique was the standout difference-maker, scoring twice, while goalkeeper Zayed Al Hammadi's error on the third goal proved to be the real turning point of the match.

• The win gives Ajman a perfect start with a full three points as their season gets underway, while Al-Wahda receive an early wake-up call despite their stated ambitions to compete for the title.