Makhete Diop has Al Dhafra headed to President’s Cup semi-finals

Makhete Diop scored a goal and an assist as Al Dhafra beat Ajman 2-0 to book their place in the semi-finals of the President’s Cup on Sunday night at the Hamdan bin Zayed stadium.

No score in first half

The first half was a goalless affair with Al Dhafra having several chances to score. Humam Tareq came closest when his free kick took a deflection off Ajman defender Mansour Mohammed in the 11th minute. Makhete Diop, too, had three good chances. The Senegalese striker was too late on a couple of occasions, the first time his shot was blocked by the charging goalkeeper Mutaz Abdullah, while the other was sent over the bar. In between, a close range effort was again smothered by Abdullah.

Diop’s header

Diop opened the account in the second half when he beat Ajman defender Rashid Malallah in the air to connect a header into the far top corner of the net off a left cross from Iraqi midfielder Tareq for a 63rd-minute lead. Abdulrahim Hussain, a substitute late in the game, doubled the lead four minutes into added time when he knocked in a ball that hit the post when Diop, who had smothered a clearance, sent a looping shot over Abdullah.

Meeting with Ahli

Dhafra meet Al Ahli on Saturday and Abdulsalam Jumaa, the winning captain said: “We are next up against a big team with quality players in every line but that doesn’t mean they are not beatable. We lost to them last year but are hopeful to turn that result around this time. Against Ajman, we were the better team. We created several scoring chances but it took us into the second half to take the lead. But that didn’t matter as long as we won the match.”

Cajuda accepts defeat

Manual Cajuda, the Ajman coach, was gracious in defeat. The Portuguese said: “We did our best but have to return with a disappointing result. This is football, only one team can win. So congratulations to Dhafra and we wish them well for the next game.”

apassela@thenational.ae

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

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Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

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Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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Makhete Diop has Al Dhafra headed to President’s Cup semi-finals

Diop scored a goal and an assist as Al Dhafra beat Ajman 2-0 to book their place in the semi-finals of the President’s Cup on Sunday night at the Hamdan bin Zayed Stadium, reports Amith Passela.

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

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