Al Sadd defeated Al Shamal 1-0 in the concluding match in Week 12 of the 2024-2025 season Ooredoo Stars League at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium of Al Sadd club on Sunday, January 12, 2025.

Yusuf Abdurisag struck in the 74th minute for the defending champions after being provided a golden pass by Akram Afif.

Al Shamal also managed to get the ball into the net off a header from Omar Mohammed in added time of the first half, but the goal was disallowed as Baghdad Bounedjah had pushed Al Sadd’s Moustafa Tarek Mashal resulting in a foul.

The win saw Al Sadd stay as second in the standings with 25 points, ahead of Al Ahli on goal difference, while Al Shamal slid a rung down to sixth with 16 points.

Al Shamal had an early chance of going into the lead in the ninth minute when Omar from top of the box set up Bounedjah for a potential strike, but the latter’s kick went just past the left post.

In the 15th minute, Afif made a through ball for Giovani Henrique to benefit from, but he was beaten by an advancing goalkeeper.

More exciting action followed as Al Sadd’s Guilherme Torres in the 19th minute sized up a powerful strike from about 10 yards outside the box, but the ball hit the crossbar on the left before flying over.

While Al Sadd held most of the ball possession, Al Shamal kept looking to make inroads and early in the second half, Mohamed Naceur Manai aimed for the left corner of the goal, but his good kick was kept away by a diving Al Sadd goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham.

The deadlock was eventually broken when a long ball was headed by an Al Shamal defender only to find a charging Afif who beat a slew of defenders to move the right for an unmarked Abdurisag to score gleefully.

Al Shamal’s hopes were dashed again in the 86th minute as another Omar strike almost made it to the target but for the stretched right hand of Barsham.

In stoppage time, Afif found a chance inside the ‘D’ and he weaved his way past the defenders, but his kick went wide of the right post.