Fine margins see Al Sadd just miss out on the QSL titleAl Sadd enjoyed a fine 2016/2017 QSL campaign and are the next side under the spotlight as we look at the progress of the teams in the QSL during season.
It was a near perfect campaign for the Wolves this term, only registering one defeat in the league. In the summer Sadd moved to sign Algerian winger Jugurtha Hamroun, and the Steaua București loanee made an impact in the early half of the season registering a host of assists for his new side. Meanwhile compatriot Bagdad Bounjah has enjoyed a fine first full season in the QSL, registering 13 goals from his first 10 games of the campaign.
The first half of the season went well, with the Wolves comfortably dispatching sides below them in the league, whilst registering away draws with sides looking to be in the title picture come the end of the season. The only real blip came in late November with a frustrating 1-1 draw with a struggling Al Wakrah side.
Credit to Jesaldo Ferriera’s side they battled back and registered an impressive eight game undefeated streak in the league heading into the New Year. This included an impressive 5-0 win over current champions Al Rayyan and an 8-0 humbling of Umm Salal.
Form was certainly on Al Sadd’s side heading into their crunch match with fellow undefeated side Lekhwiya at the start of January; however coach Ferriera was eager to play down that this was a title deciding encounter. In a tight game Al Sadd suffered their first defeat of the season, with Lekhwiya edging them out 2-1 thanks to a header from Captain Mohammed Mussa on the 90th minute.
The remaining seven games have seen Sadd drop points on just two occasions with bad tempered draws with Al Shahania and Umm Salal. Despite dropping points Sadd have had a number of key victories, including a 7-0 hammering of local rivals Al Arabi, a game which saw Bagdad Bounjah notching a staggering five goals for his side.A 2-2 draw in the end of the season with Al Sailiya, conceded the title to bitter rivals Lekhwiya, as Jesaldo Ferriera’s side just missed out on the QSL falcon shield.
It’s been a fascinating battle at the top of the QSL standings this term, and Al Sadd has certainly showed the composure and consistency of QSL champions. However at the highest level, the finest margins count and certainly draws against lower opposition in Al Wakrah, Al Shahania and Umm Salal have proved to be the difference maker in Al Sadd lifting their fourteenth league crown.
Sadd promptly forgot the disappointment of missing out on the league crown, by picking up both the Qatar & Emir Cup titles. Summer signing Jugurtha Hamroun was the star, grabbing late winners in narrow wins over El Jaish and Al Rayyan respectively. With the season over, Sadd moved quickly to tie down the long term futures of Hamroun and leading scorer Bounjah which would have been of real importance to the Sadd management. After a strong season, the stage seems set for Al Sadd to lift the QSL falcon shield during the 2017/2018 campaign.
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