Al Sadd rallied from being two goals down to beat Al Khor 5-2 in a gripping Week 10 match of the 2024-2025 season Ooredoo Stars League at the Al Khor Stadium on Friday, November 22, 2024.

While Al Khor struck through Ruben Semedo (third minute) and Sofiane Hanni (eighth minute, Al Sadd hit back with goals from Ahmed Suhail (10th minute), Romain Saiss (27th minute), Akram Afif (48th and 54th minutes) and Cristo Gonzalez (68th minute).

The hard-fought win saw Al Sadd move within a point’s difference against leaders Al Duhail (on 22 points), while Al Khor, who still remain winless in the league, stay in 12th place with four points.

Al Khor’s position notwithstanding, they came out with a strong show against the defending champions and kept challenging them till the very end.

Al Sadd, woken up by the two-goal alarm, were admirably guided by their mercurial winger and captain Afif, who not only initiated most of the potential moves, but was also instrumental in providing one clear assist besides scoring a brace.

Al Khor had caught Al Sadd napping when Semedo converted a corner kick with a clear strike and five minutes later when Hanni moved into the striking zone, following an Al Sadd long kick which could not be checked by the defending line, to double their lead.

A rattled, but determined Al Sadd hit back within minutes as Suhail made a superb header from the left after a cross from Gonzalez (1-2).

Al Sadd fetched the equalizer in fine fashion from a set piece as Afif chose to move the ball to his left to Moustafa Tarek who moved it to Yusuf Abdurisag to make a back flip before Saiss ran in to put the ball into the net from near the right post (2-2).

Al Sadd struck again in the 38th minute after an Afif strike was deflected by the goalkeeper, but he regained possession to feed Mohamed Camara who battled past Semedo to provide an assist for Giovani Henrique to score, but a VAR check saw referee rule a foul against Camara and the goal being disallowed.

Both teams went into the breather at 2-2.

Al Sadd returned and gained the lead soon, with Afif grabbing a long ball to go on and strike even while being chased by Abdulrahman Juma (3-2).

Six minutes later, Afif was back in action making a sprint to forcefully score past a hapless goalkeeper (4-2).

On the hour mark, an Al Sadd attempt saw Yusuf Abdurisag hit the left post.

Al Sadd kept their charge on and soon Afif sent in a beautiful through pass from Gonzalez to do the rest (5-2).

Creditably, Al Khor kept attacking and also came close to being successful, but Al Sadd goalkeeper Yousef Abdullah Balideh defied three Yohan Boli attempts including two kicks in front of the goal.