Baniyas secured a vital 2-1 win over Al Urooba on Thursday evening at Baniyas Stadium, in a closely contested match as part of Matchweek 19 in the ADNOC Pro League.

The Sky Blues opened the scoring early in the 14th minute through Malian striker Youssouf Niakaté, who latched onto a precise through ball from Arnaud Lusamba and slotted it confidently into the net, giving the hosts a perfect start.

Al Urooba responded swiftly, with Solomon Otabor leveling the score in the 27th minute with a stunning long-range effort that left Baniyas goalkeeper Fahd Al Dhanhani with no chance.

Baniyas took control of the game in the second half, pressing for the winner. Their efforts paid off in the 77th minute when Niakaté struck again. After a dazzling solo run, he beat two defenders and calmly finished past the keeper to seal all three points for his side.

The win lifts Baniyas to 22 points, moving them up to 10th place in the league standings. Meanwhile, Al Urooba remain rooted to the bottom of the table with just 3 points, edging closer to relegation.

Speaking after the match, Niakaté said: “I’m happy to score twice and help the team win. We’re entering a crucial stage of the season, and we need to keep the momentum going.”

Baniyas now look ahead to a challenging fixture in the next round, while Al Urooba will be desperate to find a breakthrough in their bid to avoid the drop.