Pitso Mosimane’s Al Wahda climbed up to the fifth position in the UAE Pro League table with a 1-0 victory over Hatta FC on Sunday.
Mosimane’s charges were the dominant team throughout the match and took the lead in the 24th minute.
Syrian forward Omar Khribin got the goal for Al Wahda as they enjoyed the lion’s share of possession.
Al Wahda held on to their lead for the remainder of the match to secure their second victory of the season. The former Bafana Bafana coach’s team is now just three points behind league leaders Al Ain and Al Shabab.
Al Wahda and Hatta were meeting for the eighth time in history. In seven matches, Hatta have never beaten Mosimane’s Al Wahda.
Al Wahda won seven and drew one of those matches, establishing their dominance over the club based in the inland exclave of the emirate of Dubai.
WHAT THE WIN MEANS FOR PITSO MOSIMANE’S AL WAHDA
Al Wahda started their league campaign on 18 August at home to Al Bataeh, losing that tie 2-1. It was the first time the former Mamelodi Sundowns mentor started his coaching tenure at a club on a losing note.
Their second league game was against Thulani Serero’s former club, Al Jazira, in the famous Abu Dhabi derby.
Jingles emerged the victor in that contest, winning the match 2-1. The win was significant, with the club insisting it was an indication that they were ready to challenge for the league title.
Maroons have not won the league title since the 2009/10 season and have given Mosimane the mandate to get them the honours.
In the last two seasons, they have finished third, falling behind in the race for the league title. Mosimane, who guided Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli to automatic promotion last season, knows what it takes to win a title.
He won several league titles during his time at Sundowns and will be looking to repeat that in UAE.
RELATED STORY: Pitso Mosimane: ‘This annoys me so much’
