“Palm 365” champion of the Federation Cup

Yesterday, the “Palm 365” team was crowned champion of the Federation Cup for the 2025-2026 season, after defeating Hatta, 4-1, on penalties, in the final match that was held at Al Maktoum Stadium at Al Nasr Club in Dubai, and its regular time ended in a 1-1 draw.

The coronation ceremony was attended by Sheikh Ahmed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President of Palm 365 Football Club, and Obaid Al Shamsi, Second Vice President of the Football Association.

“Palm 365” became the first team to win the Federation Cup title in its new format, combining the double after previously winning the second division title.

The match was led by an Emirati women’s refereeing team, which included the arena’s referee, Rawda Al Mansouri, and the two assistants, Amal Jamal and Adhari Al Hammadi, in addition to the fourth referee, Kholoud Al Zaabi.

The match was offensive in its entirety, despite the technical difference between the two teams, as Hatta is active in the first division league, compared to “Palm 365” participating in the second division league. The first dangerous opportunity for Hatta came in the 14th minute through Ayman Rashouq, but his shot from inside the penalty area went outside the goal.

Hatta opened the scoring in the 32nd minute through Brazilian Guilherme Castro, taking advantage of a defensive error, to score alone on goal and put his team in the lead.

At the beginning of the second half, Palm 365 won a penalty kick, which Spaniard Alejandro Melero succeeded in converting into an equalizer in the 54th minute.

The two teams decided on penalty kicks, which witnessed the brilliance of Palm 365’s Croatian goalkeeper, Matko Oradovic, who saved the first attempt and scored the third kick for his team, leading them to win 4-1 and win the title.

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Al Falasi: We planned to win both championships since the beginning of the season

The head of the football company at Palm 365 Club, Ali Al Falasi, confirmed his great confidence in achieving the title even before the start of the match, pointing to the high technical capabilities of his players. He told Emirates Today: “We planned to win both championships since the beginning of the season, and we worked hard to achieve this goal. We are happy to win the Federation Cup and the Second Division, and we look forward to continued success in the next season.”

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Obaid: We were not successful in investing in opportunities

Hatta’s coach, Walid Obaid, confirmed that his team wasted several opportunities during the match as a result of haste, which could have tipped the balance in its favor.

He said that Hatta did not succeed in investing in the available opportunities, stressing that the team will quickly turn the page on the match and focus on the upcoming matches in the First Division League.

He pointed out that the “Palm 365” team deserved to win the Federation Cup title, given the fighting spirit displayed by its players throughout the match.