The ADNOC Pro League and ADIB Cup draws have set the stage for the 2024–2025 football season.
On Saturday, July 6, at the Abu Dhabi Energy Centre, the ADIB Cup and the ADNOC Pro League drawings for the 2024–2025 season were held. The ADIB Cup draw kicked off the event, utilising artificial intelligence technology through the OPEN AI programme for the second year in a row in line with the UAE’s AI Strategy 2031.
An overview of the ADIB Cup format and draw procedure was given prior to the draw. In the first round, twelve teams will compete in knockout matches in order to move on to the quarterfinals. They will play alongside Al Wahda, the ADIB Cup winners, and Al Wasl, the reigning ADNOC Pro League champions.
UAE Football Season Draws for 2024–25
In the quarterfinals and semifinals of the cup competition, there are home and away games. The UAE Pro League will select a neutral location for the championship game. The following first-round matches were determined by the ADIB Cup draw: Khorfakkan vs. Sharjah, Shabab Al Ahli vs. Ajman, Al Orooba vs. Al Nasr, Bani Yas vs. Dibba Al-Hisn, Kalba vs. Al Ain, Al Jazira vs. Al Bataeh.
An “electronic draw” method was used to perform the ADNOC Pro League 2024–2025 season draw after the cup draw. As a component of the league’s 2020–2030 plan to improve professional contests and complement the UAE’s smart government vision, this system has been in operation from the 2021–2022 season.
The smart draw method took into account a number of factors, including match distribution based on previous season’s rankings and sports integrity. It also accommodated clubs’ outside commitments and scheduled important, high-attendance matches within the same emirate. It also refrained from booking more than two games in a single city on the same day.
Beginning on August 23rd, the ADNOC Pro League draw had 26 matchweeks. Kalba vs. Al Wasl, Bani Yas vs. Al Jazira, Shabab Al Ahli vs. Al Bataeh, Al Ain vs. Khorfakkan, Al Wahda vs. Ajman, Al Orooba vs. Al Nasr, and Dibba Al-Hisn vs. Sharjah are some of the matchweek’s matches.
Notable matches in matchweek two are Al Nasr versus Bani Yas and Al Jazira versus Al Orooba. Al Wasl versus Dibba Al-Hisn, Khorfakkan versus Al Wahda, Sharjah versus Kalba, Ajman versus Shabab Al Ahli, and Al Bataeh versus Al Ain are the remaining matches.
Highly anticipated matches like Sharjah vs. Al Jazira and Shabab Al Ahli vs. Al Wahda are part of the third matchweek. The following matches are scheduled: Al Orooba vs. Khorfakkan, Bani Yas vs. Ajman, Kalba vs. Al Ain, and Dibba Al-Hisn vs. Al Bataeh.
“League Champions” Al Wasl and “Asian Champions” Al Ain will square off in the matchweek four’s main match. Other games include Ajman vs. Dibba-Al Hisn, Khorfakkan vs. Kalba, Shabab-Al Ahli vs. Sharjah, Ajman vs. Bani Yas, and Dibba-Al Hisn vs. Bataeh.
Next week’s fifth matchweek will feature a “Clasico” pitting rivals “Al Ain” against “Al Wahda.” Matchweek seven features important matches like “Al Ain” vs “Shabab-Al Ahli,” “Al Wasl” versus “Al Jazira,” and “Al Nasr” versus “Al Wahda.” Matchweek six features a big game between Shabab-Al Ahli & Sharjah.
Additional Notable Fixtures
The matches between “Al Wahda” and “Al Wasl” in matchweek eight, “Al Ain” and “Bani Yas” in matchweek nine, “Al Jazira” and “Al Ain,” and Shabab-Al Ahli and “Al Wasl” in matchweek ten are among the other noteworthy first-round matches. In matchweek eleven, “Al Nasr” will take on Shabab-Al Ahli; in matchweek twelve, “Al Jazira” will take on “Al Wahda”; and in matchweek thirteen, “Al Wasl” will take on “Sharjah”; “Al Ain” will take on “Al Nasr.”
With a tonne of interesting matchups planned for fans to enjoy throughout the season, the drawings have set an exciting scene for both events.
