Video: Elneny suffers early injury as Al Wahda edge Al Jazira in Abu Dhabi derby

Al Jazira fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against city rivals Al Wahda in Wednesday’s Abu Dhabi derby, part of Matchday 5 in the 2025–26 UAE Pro League season.

The game saw Egyptian duo Mohamed Elneny and Ibrahim Adel, along with Ivorian defender Mamadou Koulibaly, start for Al Jazira. However, the night began on a sour note for the Pride of Abu Dhabi when Elneny was forced off with an injury just 12 minutes into the game, making way for Khalifa Al Hammadi in an early substitution.

The decisive moment came in first-half stoppage time. A mix-up at the back between veteran goalkeeper Ali Khaseif and his defense allowed Syrian forward Omar Khribin to deliver a low cross that ricocheted off Al Jazira defender Rafel Taher and into his own net, gifting Al Wahda the lead right before the break.

Despite pushing forward in the second half, Al Jazira were unable to find an equalizer. The result ended their three-match unbeaten run.

Earlier this season, Al Jazira opened with a 3-2 loss to Khor Fakkan before recovering to beat Sharjah 1-0, then a goalless draw with Al Nasr and a convincing 4-0 victory over Bani Yas.

With this win, Al Wahda move top of the league table on 11 points, while Al Jazira drop to fifth place with seven points after five rounds.

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