The Al-Sadd first team defeated Al-Shamal 3-1 in Round 17 of the QNB Stars League, which took place on Friday at the Grand Hamad Stadium.
Al-Sadd’s goals were scored by Khoukhi Boualem in the 52nd and 92nd minutes, and Akram Afif in the 73rd minute. Al-Shamal’s only goal was an own goal scored by Boualem in the third minute.
The victory meant the Wolves increased their tally to 32 points, while continuing to occupy third place in the standings.
The match started with high energy and speed from both teams until Al-Shamal managed to score the first goal in the third minute, thanks to a mistake by Khoukhi Boualem, who accidentally scored an own goal after a corner kick from the right side saw the ball hit his foot and go into Al-Sadd’s goal.
Al-Sadd players put pressure on Al-Shamal after they fell behind, and the trio of Akram Afif, Ayoub El-Kaabi, and Baghdad Bounedjah posed a threat to Babiker Sik, the Al-Shamal goalkeeper, with several shots. Bounedjah almost scored the equalizing goal for Al-Sadd in the 27th minute, but his shot went over the crossbar, and the first half ended with the Al-Shamal leading 1-0.
In the 52nd minute, Khoukhi Boualem scored the equalizer for Al-Sadd with a quick attack after receiving a pass from Baghdad Bounedjah inside the box, and finishing into an empty net.
Al-Sadd made their first substitution in the 67th minute, with Abdullah Al-Yaidizi being replaced by Hassan Al-Haydos to activate the offensive side. Coach Juanma Lillo continued to make changes later in the second half, with Ahmed Al-Saeed being replaced by Ali Asad in the 72nd minute.
In the 73rd minute, Akram Afif scored Al-Sadd’s second goal with a powerful shot from inside the penalty area, giving his side the lead for the first time.
During injury time, Khoukhi Boualem scored his second goal of the match with a header, securing a 3-1 victory for Al-Sadd.
