Akram Afif starred with a hat-trick as Al-Sadd defeated Al-Arabi 4-2 in their derby clash in the QNB Stars League Round 16 game which was played on Saturday at the Grand Hamad Stadium.

Santi Cazorla opened the scoring for Al-Sadd in the 7th minute with a penalty. Al-Arabi then had an effort disallowed for offside, before equalising with a penalty of their own in the 45th minute, through Hamed Ismail. In first half stoppage time, Akram Afif ensured Al-Sadd went into the break on top with a deflected finish to make it 2-1. ... 

Al-Sadd goalkeeper Saad Al-Dosari spoke about the difficulty of the upcoming game against Al-Arabi, in Round 16 of the QNB Stars League.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, : “Al-Arabi’s match will be difficult. We will be playing against a big team. Yes, we won the in first phase by four goals, but in the second phase the match will be more intense, and our goal is to continue with our run of victories and gain 3 important points for the team’s campaign.” ... 

Al-Sadd head coach Javi Gracia spoke of the readiness of his team ahead of the upcoming QNB Stars League Round 16 game against Al-Arabi.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Gracia said: “We have another match in a short period. I think all the players are ready to compete again.”

He added: “I know we are playing against a very good team – Al Arabi – which is in fifth place in the table at the moment. I also know it’s a derby and derbies are always different and special. So we are looking forward to competing again.” ... 

Before the start of Thursday’s main training session, the Al-Sadd first team squad held a ceremony to honour long-serving support staff member Moossa, who is leaving the club after 25 years of service.

The ceremony was attended by all the players, along with the technical and administrative staff, with a special cake arranged for the occasion, bearing the image of Moossa and the words: “Thank you Moossa.” ... 

The Al-Sadd first team held its main training session today, Thursday, at the club’s training centre, in preparation for facing Al Arabi in the QNB Stars League Round 16 game which will kick off at 7:15 PM on Saturday at Grand Hamad Stadium.

Al-Sadd come into the match with great enthusiasm after the big 5-1 win over Al-Shamal, sitting at the top of the league table with 34 points, with 3 postponed matches left to be played against Al-Wakrah, Qatar SC and Al-Rayyan. ... 

Amir Cup 2022: Al-Sadd set to face Muaither in the Round of 16

The draw for the final rounds of the Amir Cup 2022, the fiftieth edition of the tournament, was conducted and broadcast via video conference on Wednesday, in light of the current circumstances caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

The draw set the fixtures for the tournament, starting from the round of 16 and all the way to the final. The 16 participating teams were divided into two pools based on their league positions last season, and were drawn accordingly so that a team from the first pool would face an opponent from the second pool. ... 

Al-Sadd coach Javi Gracia stressed the importance of his side’s 5-1 victory over Al-Shamal team, in Round 15 of the QNB Stars League.

In his statement to the club’s website after the match, Gracia said: “I am happy with the victory that we achieved and through which we gained 3 important points for our campaign. The first half was equal between the two teams, and in the second half we showed our capabilities and the quality of the team, which gave us the advantage and the five-goal win.” ... 

Al-Sadd climbed to the top of the QNB Stars League once again after a 5-1 victory over Al-Shamal in the Round 15 game that was played at Thani bin Jassim Stadium on Tuesday.

The result sees Al-Sadd increase their point tally to 34 from 12 games, with three postponed games against Al-Wakrah, Qatar SC, and Al-Rayyan, yet to be played. ... 

Al-Sadd first team player Mustafa Tarek Mishaal described the upcoming game against Al-Shamal as difficult, especially considering that his side hasn’t played in the last two weeks.

Speaking during the pre-match press conference, Mustafa said: “Facing Al Shamal will be difficult due to the circumstances the team has gone through, returning to action after not playing during the past two weeks, but we have taken care of the situation and are well-prepared to continue winnings.” ... 

Al-Sadd head coach Javi Gracia addressed the media ahead of the upcoming QNB Stars League Round 15 game against Al-Shamal, and spoke about the difficulty of the clash.

“We are looking forward to the next game because we’ve not played for a long time,” said Gracia. “The players are looking forward to the game and we know in this moment our rival is playing well. They got four points in the last two games. I think they are in a good moment and we will try to perform well.” ...