Al Ahli can move a step closer to the Arabian Gulf League title on Sunday night with victory away to Dubai rivals Al Nasr.
And, if Al Ain drop points earlier in the day at home to Al Shaab, Ahli could even be celebrating the championship come the final whistle.
Cosmin Olariou’s side are six points clear of Al Ain with three games to play and are seven goals better off, meaning that a win at fourth-placed Nasr would mean the title was all but theirs.
Al Ain are unlikely to slip up against a Shaab side who are already relegated, have won once all season and have scored just seven goals on the road meaning the title will probably be undecided until the next round of games.
In Saturday’s matches, Al Dhafra travelled to Dibba and swept their opponents aside with a comprehensive 4-0 victory.
Putting their recent relegation fears behind them, Dhafra’s goals came courtesy of doubles from Omar Khribin and Makhete Diop in a highly effective front pairing.
Dibba’s miserable evening was characterised by a second-half penalty miss.
The visitors needed just seven minutes to open the scoring as Diop found Khribin at the back post and he fired home.
By the 14th minute the advantage had been doubled as Diop nodded a powerful header past Dibba goalkeeper Humaid Abdulla. Khribin applied a left-footed finish for his second before the break, and Diop wrapped up the scoring and the points in the second half with a solo effort.
Meanwhile, Baniyas withstood a spirited Sharjah side to register a 3-2 win and move up to eighth in the table.
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