Al Wasl thump Al Nasr to clinch third President's Cup crown

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

After a 17-year drought, Al Wasl emerged victorious in the President's Cup final, claiming the title for the third time in their history.

This victory marks their first title in all competitions since 2007.

They secured the championship by defeating their arch-rivals, Al-Nasr, with a convincing 4-0 victory in the final match held at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain amidst the presence of a large number of fans.

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, took to X to congratulate the club and its patrons, especially, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Sheikh Hamdan wrote, “Congratulations to Al-Wasl Club...to the fans, players and the administrative team.

We also thank Al-Nasr Club for its performance during the current season and their reaching the final of the President’s Cup at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain.”

Sheikh Nahyan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, crowned the winners.

The ceremony was also attended by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, President of the UAE Football Association (UAEFA); Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Al Nasr Sports Club, and other officials.

Al-Wasl had previously won the President’s Cup title in 2007 and also added the league title to their achievements with a historic double.

However, they had since experienced a title drought, and this season, they aimed to relive those memories. Currently, Al-Wasl leads the Adnoc Pro League standings with a six-point margin.

The first half was intense, with Al-Wasl having better chances. Swiss player Haris Seferovic scored a goal in the 19th minute, but it was disallowed due to offside after a VAR review.

In the 39th minute, Seferovic had another opportunity, but Al-Nasr goalkeeper Ahmed Shambih made a brilliant save.

Just before halftime, a handball by Al-Nasr midfielder Samir Memisevic led to a penalty kick, which Fabio Lima converted successfully (45+6).

In the second half, Al-Nasr suffered a setback as their Senegalese player Moussa N’Diaye received a red card in the 49th minute for a foul on Ali Salemin.

Taking advantage of Al-Nasr playing with ten men, Al-Wasl scored their second goal through Lima after an assist from Ali Saleh (54).

Seferovic added a third goal with a header from Nicolas Gimenez’s cross (64), and Saleh sealed the victory with the fourth goal in the 82nd minute.