Al Ain maintained their flawless start to the 2026-27 AFC Champions League Elite campaign, securing a commanding 4-1 triumph against Iraq’s Air Force Club (Al Quwa Al Jawiya) at the Basra International Stadium on Monday. This Matchweek 2 win propels Al Ain to the top of the West Region standings on goal difference, as they look to build upon their earlier 4-0 defeat of Al Nassr. Conceding just once, as they strengthen their position at the top of the West Region standings, al Ain have now scored eight goals in their first two matches.
The visitors dictated play from the opening whistle. Kaku broke the deadlock in the 13th minute, and the lead doubled just five minutes later when Air Force defender Saed Al Rousan inadvertently directed the ball into his own net. El Houssine Rahimi then took center stage, extending the lead to 3-0 in the 23rd minute before securing his brace just before the interval to put Al Ain comfortably ahead 4-0.
While Air Force Club managed to pull one goal back in the 89th minute, the result was never in doubt. Reflecting on the performance, Al Ain head coach Vladimir Ivic expressed satisfaction with the first-half display but demanded more consistency. “Congratulations to my players. We came here to win and played good football in the first half, creating plenty of chances,” he noted. “We must stay fully focused from start to finish. Our lapses allowed the opposition to score, win a penalty and create chances too easily.” “I am pleased with the players’ fighting spirit and high level of discipline on the pitch.
For Air Force Club, the defeat leaves head coach Rasheed Jabar facing significant challenges, though he acknowledged the quality of the opposition. “The match was decided in the opening 15 minutes. It was a difficult game and we tried to make adjustments in the second half,” Jabar stated. “The changes in the second half gave us more movement but it is difficult to come back from 4-0 down against a team with players of that quality. We can build on that but we must learn from this match.” “The positive was that we produced an acceptable performance in the second half, both individually and as a team. Despite the congested match schedule.”, i am confident in their ability to overcome challenges.
In other regional action, Al Ahli Saudi FC clinched a 3-1 victory over Al Wasl FC at Zabeel Stadium. Roger Ibanez opened the scoring for the Saudi side in the 20th minute. Although Pedro Malheiro leveled for Al Wasl in first-half stoppage time, second-half strikes from Trincao and Feras Al Brikan secured all three points for Al Ahli.
Al Ahli head coach Marino Pusic lauded his squad’s resilience. “I am extremely proud of my players and their performance. What matters most to me is the character and qualities they possess, particularly given the intense schedule we are currently navigating,” Pusic said. He emphasized that the focus has already shifted toward recovery ahead of their upcoming domestic league fixture against Al Nassr. “It is essential to put this match behind us and focus entirely on physical recovery to ensure we enter the domestic league clash against Al Nassr with the highest possible level of technical and physical readiness.”.
Al Wasl boss Rui Vitoria remained disappointed by his team’s inability to maintain momentum. “We started very well, particularly in the first 20 minutes. I haven’t watched the match back yet, but my impression was that we played very well in the opening stages,” Vitoria explained. “After the goal, we lost concentration for about 10 minutes and I didn’t like that period.”
