Sagbo scores from the spot as Umm Salal beat Al Khor 2-1Goals either side of half time and some last minute heroics from goalkeeper Baba Malick helped Umm Salal beat Al Khor 2-1 at Qatar Sports Club as The Falcons got their 2016/17 QSL season off to the best possible start.
The match started with an early penalty appeal from Umm Salal after Helal Mohammad looked to be tripped in in the box by Khor defender Wellington Souza. The referee, however, was quick to wave for a goal kick which drew early protests from The Falcons’ bench and Head Coach, Bülent Uygun.
Possession was neatly balanced for the majority of the first half but neither side looked able to produce the quality required to penetrate the opposing defence. That was until Umm Salal midfielder Ismael Mahmoud made a darting run down the left wing and drilled an excellent cross which caused Al Khor’s captain, Mostafa Jalal Jafri, to raise an arm and gift Umm Salal a penalty with 28 minutes gone.
Yannick Sagbo was quick to step up and send the keeper the wrong way to take a 1-0 lead. Al Khor could have been 2-0 down not long after Sagbo scored from the spot after new summer signing, Alef, on loan from Braga, missed a open goal from five yards out after his header went over the crossbar.
AL Khor nearly went into half time level but had a goal disallowed on the 42nd minute after a clear infringement on Umm Salal’s goalkeeper, Baba Malick, the first half ended 1-0 to Umm Salal.
Al Khor came out strong in the second half, pressing well and keeping possession. The Knights soon got a well-deserved equaliser after Mouhcine Iajour poked home a flick from a corner after Umm Salal’s Baba Malick failed to deal with the set piece.
Hopes of a point for each team didn’t last long however as The Falcons scored an excellent counter-attacking goal which saw Helal Mohammad control a long 25 yard ball from midfield before whipping in a lightening cross to Ismail Mahmoud who found himself unmarked on the back post.
Al Khor continued to press for an equalisier and two late chances fell to Al Khor attacker Mason, who put one chance wide in front of an open goal from six yards out and also drew a last gasp save from Umm Salal’s Babba Malick with the final kick of the game, giving all three points for Umm Salal.
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Al Sadd start the new season with emphatic win over Al Kharatiyat
Al Sadd got their new QSL season off to a winning start with a commanding 4-0 win over Al Kharaitiyat at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
Al Sadd controlled the game from kick off, largely thanks to their talisman and captain Xavi Hernandez who took a leading role in midfield from the first whistle. Al Sadd broke the deadlock after 25 minutes when Xavi delivered a pin-point pass to find Algerian under-23 international Bagdad Bounedjah, who controlled the ball on his chest before driving it into the back of the net.
Al Kharatiyat went into half-time trailing 1-0 but came out strong in the opening minutes of the second half, having a goal disallowed after just two minutes when striker Jeremy Bokila was deemed offside after poking home from six yards out.
Al Sadd continued to control the game and on the 62nd minute, new summer signing Jugurtha Hamroun delivered a through ball to Qatar’s national team captain, Hasan Al Haydoos, who calmly took it around Al Kharatiyat’s goalkeeper to make it 2-0.
Just a minute later, Al Sadd nearly made it three after Al Kharatiyat’s goalkeeper was forced to make a fingertip save after another pin-point delivery from Xavi which found the head of Ibrahim Majed.
Al Sadd made sure of all three points after a fine solo goal from Ali Asad which saw him drive an 18 yard shot into the roof of the net on the 77th minute mark.
Al Kharatiyat had a late final push, with Domingos forcing a fine save from Al Sadd’s Sadd Abdullah. They also had another goal disallowed on the 84th minute, again for being caught offside.
Al Sadd rounded off a compelling performance after debutant Hossam Kamal set-up Bounedjah in the 92nd minute for his second goal to round off a fine opening day win for Al Sadd.
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