AJMAN, UAE, September 11, 2026: Kalba had spent the opening month of the season showing enough quality to compete without collecting enough points to show for it.
On Friday night, they finally finished the job.
Benjamin Tetteh scored in the 25th minute, Carlos Alberto added a second in the 42nd and Neto struck in the 67th as Kalba beat Ajman 3-2 at Rashid Bin Saeed Stadium in Matchweek 5 of the 2026-27 ADNOC Pro League.
Ajman refused to disappear. Walid Azaro pulled one back in first-half stoppage time before Lithierry scored again in the 81st minute, setting up a nervous finish after Kalba had twice looked capable of putting the match beyond reach.
The result moved Kalba up to 10th in the post-match table shown immediately after full time, while Ajman slipped to fifth.
The larger significance sits behind those positions.
Kalba entered the match with only one point from four games. They had already competed well against the defending champions, created chances and shown enough attacking promise to suggest that their position was worse than some of their performances.
Against Ajman, that promise finally became three points.
Ajman vs Kalba: Match at a Glance
| Match detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Competition | ADNOC Pro League 2026-27 |
| Matchweek | 5 |
| Date | September 11, 2026 |
| Venue | Rashid Bin Saeed Stadium, Ajman |
| Final score | Ajman 2-3 Kalba |
| Ajman scorers | Walid Azaro 45+2′, Lithierry 81′ |
| Kalba scorers | Benjamin Tetteh 25′, Carlos Alberto 42′, Neto 67′ |
| Ajman position shown after match | 5th |
| Kalba position shown after match | 10th |
Tetteh Gave Kalba the Start Their Season Had Been Missing
Kalba’s early league record had not reflected how competitive they had been in several matches.
The clearest example came in their 2-0 defeat to Al Ain. Kalba produced 17 shots, put eight on target and matched the champions for possession, yet left without a goal or a point.
That match exposed the central problem.
Kalba were reaching useful areas.
They were not converting enough of those moments.
Benjamin Tetteh changed that in the 25th minute against Ajman.
The opening goal mattered because it allowed Kalba to play from ahead against a team that had entered Matchweek 5 with nine points from four matches and three league victories already on the board.
Ajman had been one of the early season’s most efficient teams. Kalba needed to force them into a different type of contest.
Tetteh’s goal did exactly that.
Carlos Alberto Turned an Advantage Into Real Pressure
Kalba doubled the lead in the 42nd minute through Carlos Alberto.
At 2-0, the visitors had suddenly moved from merely competing well to controlling the scoreboard.
The timing was significant.
Ajman were approaching halftime needing to reorganize around a one-goal deficit.
Carlos Alberto’s strike made the situation more urgent.
The goal also represented exactly the type of attacking efficiency Kalba had lacked in earlier rounds.
Against Al Ain, they had created enough to make the game uncomfortable but failed to finish their strongest opportunities.
Against Ajman, their first two important scoring moments produced two goals.
Azaro’s Goal Prevented the First Half From Becoming a Kalba Rout
Walid Azaro scored in the second minute of first-half stoppage time.
The goal changed the emotional temperature of the match.
Ajman went from facing a 2-0 halftime deficit to entering the break one goal away from level.
That distinction matters because Ajman had already shown an ability to recover from losing positions this season.
Their Matchweek 4 comeback against Al Nasr was one of the clearest examples. Ajman trailed before Azaro equalized and the team went on to win 2-1, giving them a third victory in four matches.
That result had established Ajman as one of the early challengers behind the league’s perfect leaders.
Against Kalba, Azaro again provided the first response.
The difference was what happened next.
Neto Restored the Two-Goal Cushion When Ajman Were Pushing Back
Neto’s 67th-minute goal was arguably the most important moment of the match.
Kalba had already seen Ajman reduce the deficit once.
Allowing another goal at 2-1 could have turned the entire contest.
Instead, Neto restored the two-goal advantage.
That kind of response matters for a team trying to climb out of a difficult start.
Kalba did not simply score early and spend the rest of the match defending.
They found another goal after the opponent had regained belief.
The ability to answer pressure is one of the clearest differences between collecting promising performances and collecting points.
Lithierry Gave Ajman One Final Route Back
Ajman were still not finished.
Lithierry scored in the 81st minute to reduce the deficit to 3-2 and force Kalba into a final phase built around concentration rather than attack.
That goal should not be dismissed as cosmetic.
It placed Kalba under exactly the kind of pressure they had not handled consistently enough earlier in the season.
One mistake would have erased much of the work produced over the previous 80 minutes.
This time, Kalba survived.
That may be as important as the three goals.
Kalba Have Finally Turned Performance Into Outcome
The strongest reason to view this result as significant comes from the previous round.
Kalba lost 2-0 to Al Ain, but the underlying performance was much more competitive than the scoreline suggested.
The Sports Encounter’s analysis of that match showed Kalba creating eight shots on target and matching the champions for possession.
They still ended Matchweek 4 with one point from four games.
The wider league review identified poor conversion as one of the central reasons they remained near the bottom despite competitive spells.
Friday provided the missing piece.
Three different scorers.
Three goals.
Three points.
Ajman’s Early-Season Strength Is Still Real
The defeat should not erase what Ajman achieved through the first four rounds.
They entered Matchweek 5 on nine points, level with several teams in the chasing group behind Al Jazira and Al Ain.
The Sports Encounter’s early UAE Pro League title-race analysis identified Ajman as one of five teams that opened the season with two straight victories.
They later recovered from another difficult game to beat Al Nasr.
That body of work is why the loss to Kalba feels more like a setback than a collapse.
The concern is defensive.
Allowing three goals at home against a team that had struggled to turn chances into goals is exactly the type of result that can disrupt an otherwise strong start.
The Match Was Decided by Responses, Not Simply the First Goal
| Moment | What happened | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| 25′ | Benjamin Tetteh put Kalba ahead | Forced Ajman to chase and gave Kalba the game state they needed |
| 42′ | Carlos Alberto made it 2-0 | Converted Kalba’s strongest first-half spell into a two-goal cushion |
| 45+2′ | Walid Azaro scored for Ajman | Prevented Kalba from reaching halftime in complete control |
| 67′ | Neto restored Kalba’s two-goal lead | Answered Ajman’s recovery before the hosts could find an equalizer |
| 81′ | Lithierry made it 3-2 | Forced Kalba to survive a tense closing phase |
Matchweek 5 Keeps Rearranging the UAE Pro League
The result continues a round in which several established patterns have been disrupted.
Al Jazira lost their perfect record against Al Nasr.
Shabab Al Ahli also dropped points against Dubai United.
Ajman’s defeat now adds another change inside the group that had been sitting directly behind the early leaders.
The official UAE Pro League schedule had placed Ajman against Kalba among Friday’s four Matchweek 5 fixtures at Rashid Bin Saeed Stadium. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
Why Kalba’s 10th Place Matters Less Than the Direction
The post-match table showed Kalba in 10th place.
That number will move as the season develops.
The direction matters more.
One point from four matches can quickly create pressure.
Four points from five looks very different, especially when the latest result comes away from home against a team that entered the round inside the leading group.
Kalba’s challenge is now to prove this was not an isolated correction.
The official ADNOC Pro League standings provide the latest table as Matchweek 5 concludes.
Ajman Now Need the Kind of Response They Have Already Shown
Ajman have enough evidence from the opening month to know that one defeat does not need to become a sequence.
Their response after difficult periods has already been one of their strengths.
That quality helped them establish an early place among the upper group.
They will need it again.
Ajman are also preparing for a wider regional schedule later in the season. The club will represent the UAE in the 2026-27 Gulf Champions League, a tournament The Sports Encounter examined in its breakdown of the expanded regional competition.
That makes consistency and squad resilience increasingly important as domestic and regional demands begin to overlap.
Kalba’s Win Adds Another Layer to a Competitive Lower Half
The bottom half is already tightening.
Earlier on Friday, Al Dhafra came from behind to beat Hatta 2-1, collecting their first win of the season.
Bani Yas also collected their first point in a 0-0 draw with Khorfakkan.
Kalba have now added their own first victory.
The effect is important.
Teams that appeared at risk of becoming detached are beginning to collect points at the same time.
That makes the next phase of the season significantly less predictable.
What This Result Changes for Both Teams
| Team | What worked | What now needs attention |
|---|---|---|
| Kalba | Three different scorers and a strong response after Ajman cut the deficit | Need to turn the first win into a sustained run of points |
| Ajman | Twice reduced a two-goal deficit and remained alive until the end | Conceding three at home undermined an otherwise strong opening month |
The Bigger Lesson From Ajman 2-3 Kalba
Kalba’s first four matches had already suggested that results were not telling the entire story.
They competed.
They created chances.
They repeatedly left without enough points.
Against Ajman, the equation finally changed because the decisive attacking moments were finished.
Tetteh started it.
Carlos Alberto strengthened it.
Neto protected it.
Then Kalba survived the late pressure that followed Lithierry’s goal.
For continuing coverage of the competition, follow The Sports Encounter’s soccer section and the official UAE Pro League website.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the score between Ajman and Kalba?
Kalba defeated Ajman 3-2 in Matchweek 5 of the 2026-27 ADNOC Pro League.
Who scored for Kalba against Ajman?
Benjamin Tetteh scored in the 25th minute, Carlos Alberto in the 42nd and Neto in the 67th.
Who scored for Ajman?
Walid Azaro scored in first-half stoppage time before Lithierry added Ajman’s second goal in the 81st minute.
Was this Kalba’s first league win of the season?
Yes. Kalba had collected only one point from their opening four league matches before beating Ajman.
What position were Kalba shown in after the match?
Kalba were shown in 10th place immediately after full time.
What position were Ajman shown in?
Ajman were shown in fifth place after the defeat.
Where was Ajman vs Kalba played?
The match was played at Rashid Bin Saeed Stadium in Ajman.
How had Ajman performed before this match?
Ajman entered Matchweek 5 with nine points from four matches after winning three of their opening four league games.
How had Kalba performed before facing Ajman?
Kalba had one point from four matches and were still looking for their first win despite producing competitive performances, including a strong statistical showing in defeat against Al Ain.
Why was Neto’s goal important?
Neto’s 67th-minute goal restored Kalba’s two-goal lead after Ajman had reduced the deficit before halftime, giving Kalba enough margin to survive Lithierry’s late goal.
