Al-Sadd’s journey in the King Salman Club Cup came to an end as they faced a 4-2 defeat against Iraq’s Al-Shorta in the quarter-final match held on Saturday, August 5th, at the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium in Abha, Saudi Arabia.
The match kicked off with both teams displaying quick and enthusiastic play. Al-Shorta came close to an early lead in the 2nd minute, but Al-Sadd’s goalkeeper, Meshaal Barsham, made timely saves, denying them twice.
However, Al-Sadd’s players regained their composure and dominated the midfield, posing a constant threat to Al-Shorta’s goal through the efforts of Baghdad Bounedjah, Akram Afif, and Gonzalo Plata.
Al-Sadd’s dominance was rewarded in the 24th minute when Akram Afif converted a penalty, earned after being fouled by an Al-Shorta defender, neatly placing the ball into the net and scoring the opening goal for Al-Sadd.
In the 32nd minute, Al-Shorta’s player Amir Sabah levelled the score with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, finding the top right corner of Al-Sadd’s net.
At the start of the second half, Al-Sadd’s players intensified their efforts, while Al-Shorta adopted a more defensive approach, relying on counter-attacks. In the 53rd minute, Mateus Uribe’s header struck Al-Shorta’s crossbar, denying Al-Sadd an opportunity to take the lead.
Against the run of play, Al-Shorta was awarded a penalty in the 59th minute, which Aso Rostom successfully converted, giving Al-Shorta the lead with their second goal.
Al-Shorta extended their advantage with a third goal in the 71st minute, courtesy of Ahmed Farhan, followed by Aso Rostom’s second goal in the 79th minute.
In the 80th minute, Akram Afif managed to narrow the gap for Al-Sadd, scoring his second goal of the match. Al-Sadd continued their relentless efforts until the final whistle, but the match concluded with Al-Shorta emerging victorious with a 4-2 scoreline.
