Akram Afif scored off two penalties as Al Sadd blanked Al Wakrah 3-0 in Week 19 of the 2024-25 season Ooredoo Stars League at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium of Al Sadd club on Saturday.

Skipper Afif converted from the spot in the 72nd and 86th minutes of the match, while Youcef Atal added another goal to the scoreline in stoppage time (90+10 minute) as The Wolves collected the three maximum points to keep up their chase with league leaders Al Duhail.

Al Sadd are now on 43 points, still one-point behind Al Duhail, while Al Wakrah, who suffered their 10th loss of the league, stayed in 10th place with 21 points.

Al Sadd held sway from the start and came close to scoring twice in the opening half. In the 20th minute, a Mohamed Camara kick just wide of right post while in the 35th minute Afif missed out on what would have been a fine strike. Afif made a brilliant rock and roll effort as he first took the ball on his head and later made a run down to strike but while the ball beat a diving Al Wakrah goalkeeper Saoud Mubarak Al Khater to his left, it went on to hit the bottom of right post to go away.

Al Sadd’s efforts continued in the second session, but they failed to break the deadlock until late when a corner kick from Afif saw Pedro Miguel head the ball home but the flag for off side was up. The referee, however, had a VAR and caught a foul before Miguel made the header and a penalty was awarded. Afif stepped up and coolly converted putting the ball into the left side as the goalkeeper dived the other way.

Fourteen minutes later, Al Wakrah erred again as Hamdy Fathy brought down Afif with a wrong tackle inside the box and Al Sadd won a penalty again. Afif again repeated his act for his side to double the lead.

There was more joy for Al Sadd as Afif set up another making a fine pass from inside left to substitute Ali Asad, who set the ball up for a dashing in Atal to go on and score the team’s third goal of the match.