Al Ahli edge out Al Khor 1-0

Al Khor went head to head against Al Ahli in round eighteen of the QSL at the AL Khor stadium on Friday. Only a single goal separated the two sides as Yousef Adam’s men came out victorious thanks to a first half strike from Younes Ali, giving them their third straight win in the league. 

Al Khor’s midfielder Pejman Khoubiari had a chance to open the scoring in the twenty-fourth minute but his effort from close range sailed over the bar. Madison passed the ball to Awad who slid in to make the connection as he sent the ball out of play.

In the thirtieth minute, Ali Farydon controlled the ball after it was headed towards him from a cross. Farydon then dribbled the ball towards the edge of the box and then laid it off to his teammate, Younes Ali, who curled the ball into the goal from right outside the box.

In the second half, Jean Fernandez’s men upped the pressure and were trying to get a goal back. Madison had a chance to level the scoreline in the fifty-third minute, however, his powerful shot went just wide of the goal post. Al Ahli also had chances to score and double their lead but they could not provide the finishing touch. Meshal Abdullah, Al Ahli’s top scorer wasted an easy chance in front of goal as his tame shot went straight into the hands of the keeper in the sixtieth minute.

​Al Ahli held on to their slender advantage and added three points to their tally. The Brigadiers now have twenty-three points from eighteen games while Al Khor remains at nineteen points.

Umm Salal and El Jaish draw 1-1

Umm Salal and El Jaish walked away with a point each in Friday’s Round 18 16.30 QSL clash at Qatar Sports Club Stadium as the out of form teams drew 1-1 in a heated match.

Both sides came into the game desperate for a morale boosting win to reignite the second half of their season after failing to win in their last two games in 2017. Umm Salal headed into the game boosted by the return of key strikers Yannick Sagbo and Mahmoud Al-Mawas while Jaish were still struggling for players after suffering a raft of injuries and suspensions in recent weeks.

Umm Salal started brightly and should have been one up after just 50 seconds of play when Mahmoud Al-Mawas found himself one on one with Jaish’s goalkeeper after a failed headed back-pass from Murad Hussein gifted him an early chance. Despite being one on one and just ten yards out, Almawas failed to put it on target and smashed a shot high over the crossbar.



Jaish began to settle into a rhythm after a frenetic opening 20 minutes, dominating possession deep in Umm Salal’s half. Jaish’s in-form Uzbek international, Sardor Rashidov, had The Soldiers’ best chance of the first half when he struck a blistering free kick on the 26th minute from 25 yards out that drew a fine save from Umm Salal’s Baba Malick.

Umm Salal looked quite happy to play the counter attacking game, a tactic that paid off on the 36th minute when they found the back of the net thanks to Hilal Mohammed. Returning number 13, Yannick Sagbo, launched a long looping cross from the right wing that Jaish’s defence failed to deal with and Hilal was able to stab it home from within the six yard box to give the Orange Fortress a one nil lead going into half time.

Both teams came out quickly in the second half but it was Jaish who struck first to draw the game at 1-1 following a controversial equaliser on the 61st minute. Umm Salal attempted to stop play after they thought Jaish’s Mohammed Al-Yazidi fouled Abdel Alawiin in midfield with what looked like a nasty two footed challenge. Despite Alawiin writhing around in pain, Jaish played on and Abdulgadir Ilyas  found himself on the end of a cross and able to poke it home from two yards out to make it 1-1. Hilal was subsequently booked for his protests to the referee and Jaish’s captain, Seydou Keita.

Both teams desperately looked for a winner for the remaining 30 minutes but neither side was able to carve out any clear cut chances and left with a point each after it finished 1-1. The single point each means that Jaish remain in fourth and Umm Salal in seventh.