(MENAFN- The Peninsula) chinthana wasala |
The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: Defending champions Al Duhail and former title winners Al Sadd yesterday made a triumphant start to the new expo Stars League season.
Al Duhail clinched a 2-1 win over a fighting Al Ahli team while Al Sadd beat Umm Salal 3-1.
At Al Thumama Stadium, the Red Knights demonstrated their prowess early on, securing a 1-0 lead in the first half thanks to a brilliant strike by Kenyan forward Michael Olunga in the 22nd minute.
French midfielder Ibrahima Diallo, making his debut for the Qatari champions just three days after joining their ranks, then doubled the lead with a magnificent header in the 48th minute.
Al Ahli pulled one back courtesy of Eslam Yassein Elsherif's powerful kick from 30 yards that hit the crossbar and went into the net in the 54th minute.
Al Duhail's strong defence and brilliant goalkeeping work by Salah Zakaria Hassan prevented any more surprises despite Al Ahli's efforts and several near misses.
Not only Hassan, but also Al Ahli keeper Yazan Naim Hussein displayed impressive work guarding the net against a number of Al Duhail attacks.
Al Duhail's rising star Suhaib Gannan narrowly missed a goal as his powerful strike hit the crossbar and flew over the same in the 31st minute.
Yazan then denied Olunga and Gannan in quick succession.
As the time went on, Al Ahli's Naim Sliti nearly equalised in added time, receiving an assist from Abubakr Bouyami from outside the box. However, Al Duhail's strong defence thwarted the effort, securing the victory the Red Knights and their coach Hernan Crespo celebrated a victorious start to the season.
Al Sadd's players celebrate after Guilherme Torres (second left) scored their second goal
Meanwhile, at Al Bayt Stadium, former champions Al Sadd kicked off the season on a high note, with goals coming from former Asian Player of the Year Akram Afif, Guilherme Torres and Yusuf Abdurisag in the 5th, 26th, and 48th minutes of the game respectively.
Despite Umm Salal's attempts, their lone goal came in the 86th minute when French striker Andy Delort lifted the ball over goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham.
Determined to shine against the 16-time champions, Umm Salal tried hard in the opening half, with Moroccan Oussama Tannane nearly netting an incredible long-distance shot in the 21st minute.
Soon after, new recruit Gonazalo Plata set up the opportunity for Torres, made use of the chance to secure Al Sadd's second goal.
In the second half, Afif and Abdurisag combined forces to create a goal-scoring opportunity.
Afif delivered a precise pass to Abdurisag, who flicked the ball through a defender's legs and beyond Umm Salal goalkeeper Sami Beldi's reach.
While Al Sadd displayed dominance, the match witnessed moments of near misses on both sides.
Al Sadd had a goal disallowed when Afif found the net, only for Abdurisag to be ruled offside. Similarly, Umm Salal's Kenji Gorre's attempt narrowly missed the target as it sailed past the top corner of the right post.