2021-22 QNB Stars League Week 9 highlights

The 2021-2022 QNB Stars League title race has continued to hot up between Al Sadd and Al Duhail as the two giants shared the spoils with three goals apiece in their high profile encounter on Wednesday. With the result, the Wolves remain firmly on top of the standings with 25 points - three points ahead of second-placed Duhail. 

In the week's other highlights, Umm Salal achieved their first victory and advanced to the sixth position and Qatar SC got back to winning ways.

The Week 9 fixtures, held on 3rd and 4th November, witnessed a total of 18 goals scored, and two of the six matches ending in draws.

Al Arabi continued their good run by beating Al Khor and are placed third.

Qatar SC recorded their second victory this season by beating Al Sailiya 2-1. It was their first win under Moroccan coach Youssef Safri.

Also, Umm Salal's first victory came after Qatari coach Wesam Rizik took over from Brazilian Sergio Farias.

Kenyan star Michael Olunga emerged as the top scorer with 12 goals following his two goals against Al Sadd. Al Sadd's Algerian striker Baghdad Bounedjah is second with 11 goals, followed by his team-mate Andre Ayew with seven goals. In fourth place is Al Gharafa striker Cheick Diabate with six goals.

The QNB Stars League will have a break now because of the FIFA Arab Cup from November 30 to December 18, 2021, and also considering the Qatar national team's engagements.

Here are the highlights from the matches:

Match: Al Wakrah 1 vs Umm Salal 4

Date: Thursday, November 4, 2021.

Venue: Al Arabi Stadium

Umm Salal beat Al Wakrah 4-1 at the Al Arabi Stadium on Thursday.

Ayman Ghadban (first and 45th minutes) and Yassin Bakhit (64th and 80th minutes) powered Umm Salal to their first win of the season and they are on nine points.

Nasser Saleh Al Yazidi scored Al Wakrah’s goal in the 54th minute.

The teams barely settled into their groove when Umm Salal found the net in the opening minute. Ghadban picked up a ball near the half line and ran all the way towards the Al Wakrah box. As he got close to the goalmouth, Al Wakrah keeper Saoud Al Khater stepped out of his position, but Gadban quickly slipped the ball into the left corner.

As the first half drew to a close, Umm Salal doubled their lead. Bakhit, following a long run with ball, gave a cross to Ghadban, who easily deflected a shot into the goal from close range.

Saoud Al Nasr of Al Wakrah launched a bullet from outside the Umm Salal box, but keeper Khalifa Aboobacar parried the ball above the crossbar in the 51st minute. Three minutes later, Al Wakrah reduced the deficit when Al Yazidi – after a cross from Omid Ebrahimi - tapped the ball into the net from close range with a quick swivel.

In the 64th minute, Bakhit exhibited remarkable control and speed as he charged into the Al Wakrah box following a loopy cross. Despite being chased by Al Wakrah’s tall defender Ousmane Coulibaly, Bakhit drilled a shot into the net for his side’s third goal.

Bakhit added one more goal through a left-footed drive that went to the left of Al Wakrah keeper as Umm Salal wrapped up a convincing win.

Match: Qatar SC 2 vs Al Sailiya 1

Date: Thursday, November 4, 2021

Venue: Al Khor Stadium

Qatar SC beat Al Sailiya 2-1 at the Al Khor Stadium on Thursday.

Javi Martinez (eighth minute) and Bashar Resan (49th minute) scored for Qatar SC. Substitute Ramin Rezaeian pulled one back for Al Sailiya in the 80th minute.

Qatar SC moved on to nine points with their second victory. Al Sailiya remained on five points.

Qatar SC, who lost 1-2 to Al Duhail in the previous round, made amends and improved their ranking. Above all, the victory, their first under Moroccan coach Youssef Safri who was their player, helped boost the team’s morale.

The defeat meant Al Sailiya are now in a precarious position (they are second last in the table only above Al Khor) as the QNB Stars League heads for a break.

Match: Al Khor 0 vs Al Arabi 2
Date: Thursday, November 4, 2021

Venue: Al Arabi Stadium

Al Arabi defeated Al Khor 2-0 at the Al Arabi Stadium on Thursday.

The game’s first goal was scored by Abdulqadir Ilyas in the 20th minute in what turned out to be an entertaining match-up. Rami Suhail added another one for Al Arabi in injury time (90+4).

It was Al Arabi’s sixth win of the season and they raised their points to 19, whereas Al Khor, who played with 10 men after the expulsion of Korean midfielder Koo Ja-Cheol in the 60th minute, are still without a win and stood on four points.

Al Arabi opened the scoring in the 20th minute aftre Spanish centre back Marc Martinez – from near the corner flag – slipped in a cross for Ilyas, who was inside the Al Khor box. And he smartly deflected the ball into the net past the goalkeeper.

Close to the hour-mark, Al Arabi’s Esmaeili drilled a bullet from close range but his shot hit the outside of the net.

A few seconds later, Koo was shown the red card (second yellow) when he brought down Msakni with a rough tackle.

Al Khor’s Brazilian forward Kayke Rodrigues nearly pulled off the equalizer, but his curling free-kick in the 67th minute narrowly slipped past the Al Arabi crossbar.

In stoppage time, substitute Rami ran for more than 40 yards before sneaking into the Al Khor box and drilled a low shot to the right of the keeper for his side’s second goal.

Match:  Al Duhail 3 vs Al Sadd 3

Date: Wednesday, November 3, 2021

Venue: Al Gharafa Stadium

Al Duhail and Al Sadd played out an edge-of-the-seat 3-3 draw at the Al Gharafa Stadium on Wednesday.

Michael Olunga (24th and 89th minutes) scored for Al Duhail, who were also helped by an own goal by Al Sadd defender Pedro in the 31st minute.

Baghdad Bounedjah (fourth minute), Boualem Khoukhi (73rd minute) and substitute Rodrigo Tabata (74th minute) scored the goals for Al Sadd.

Al Duhail and Al Sadd now have 22 and 25 points respectively.

The humdinger of a match, between two of the strongest title contenders and teams occupying the first two positions in the table, lived up to its billing, true to the star-studded line-up on both sides.

Ball possession was almost even and both teams created chances right throughout the fast-paced game.

Al Sadd took the lead, but Al Duhail were up 2-1 by half-time.

In hindsight, Al Duhail had an upper hand despite an early deficit, while Al Sadd bounced back strongly in the second session.

The Wolves’ cause was helped by the red-card suspension (second yellow) to Al Duhail’s Luis Martin Junior in the 45th minute following his foul on Bounedjah.

Bounedjah took Al Sadd ahead early by heading in Jung Woo-Young’s long lob.

Al Duhail equalized when Olunga nodded home Edmilson Junior’s corner.

The Red Knights’ second goal came in similar fashion as Olunga’s header off Edmilson’s corner went in off Pedro’s leg as a deflection.

On to the second half, the game changer for Al Sadd was the 57th-minute substitution of Tabata, who came in for Ali Asad.

Tabata immediately made an impact, in the 60th minute, but his header off Guillerme Torres cross from the right, was pushed out by Al Duhail goalkeeper Salah Zakaria.

Al Sadd made a sudden spurt that saw them score two goals in as many minutes.

First, Khoukhi headed in Tabata’s corner kick and then the latter himself got into the scoring act with the help of Al Haydous.

As Al Sadd were cruising towards victory, Al Duhail fought hard despite the numerical disadvantage and Olunga yet again did the rescue act for his team in the closing minutes with another header off Ismail Mohammed’s cross and the teams deservedly shared the spoils.

Match: Al Rayyan 0 vs Al Gharafa 2

Date: Wednesday, November 3, 2021

Venue: Al Gharafa Stadium

Al Gharafa beat Al Rayyan 2-0 at the Al Gharafa Stadium on Wednesday.

Mahdi Tahrat (43rd minute) and Ahmed Al Janehi (69th minute) scored the goals as Al Gharafa raised their points tally to 15, while Al Rayyan remained on nine points.

Both teams were coming off defeats in the previous round, Al Rayyan losing 1-2 to Al Arabi and Al Gharafa suffering a 0-1 loss to Al Wakrah. So they were keen on getting back to winning ways.

However, it was Al Gharafa who had the last laugh.

Al Rayyan missed their Colombian star James Rodriguez, who got injured during their match against Al Arabi.

The battle was fought strongly from the technical point of view. Al Rayyan were the best in the first half and the most dangerous at the goal, but missed their chances.

Match: Al Ahli 0 vs Al Shamal 0
Date: Wednesday, November 3, 2021

Venue: Al Wakrah Stadium

Al Ahli and Al Shamal played out a goalless draw at the Al Wakrah Stadium on Wednesday.

Al Ahli and Al Shamal moved on to six and eight points respectively.

Al Ahli defender Marko Jevtovic made the game’s first worthwhile attempt, in the 11th minute, but his long-range shot flew wide of the post.

Al Shamal launched a counter-attack the next minute and Jeison Escobar was unlucky with his placing shot that kissed the right upright before going out.

The duo of Escobar and captain Bahaa Faisal, who both scored two goals in Al Shamal’s 4-0 win over Al Khor in the previous round, teamed up well and one such move immediately afterwards saw Bahaa head wide a cross from Escobar.

Al Ahli now attacked more and they came close to scoring in the 28th minute, but Abdulrahman Al Harazi’s shot from inside the box cruised narrowly over the bar. Al Harazi had pounced on the rebound off goalkeeper Marwan Sherif, who blocked Jassem Omar’s shot.

Al Ahli had a goal disallowed in the 70th minute as Hussein Kanaani was ruled offside.

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