Umm Salal sealed their Play-Off position in the 2024-2025 season Ooredoo Stars League with a 1-0 win over formidable Al Ahli in a crucial Week 21 match at the Al Thumama Stadium on Friday.

Croatian forward Antonio Mance converted a penalty kick, coolly in the 40th minute to provide The Orange Fortress with the vital and match-winning lead.

Al Ahli came close to the target on a few occasions, but could not force the issue.

The result took Umm Salal’s points tally to 18 points and they remained in 11th place but well clear of the threat of the relegation spot. Al Ahli stayed fourth in the table with 35 points.

The turning point of the match for Umm Salal came when their player Oussama Tannane was felled by Amin Tihi just inside the box on the right during a tackle. The referee called for the penalty and Mance shook the left corner of the net, much to the joy of his teammates and fans at the stadium.

Umm Salal going into the lead pushed Al Ahli back and despite their best attempts later they could not find a goal.

Al Ahli’s biggest moment was in the 27th minute when forward Erik Exposito’s powerful left-footed kick from the centre of the box was brilliantly blocked by a diving Umm Salal goalkeeper Landing Badji.

With the game entering some tense moments in stoppage time, there were two red cards shown. First it was Al Ahli’s Idrissa Doumbia (90+1 minute) after he stepped on Umm Salal’s Victor Lekhal near the centre line, and later Umm Salal’s Adel Al Soleymani (90+5’) after a second yellow, following a foul.