FROM LEFT: Al Sadd’s Ali Asad, Baghdad Bounedjah and Abdelkarim Hassan celebrate after beating Qatar SC 8-1, yesterday.
Doha: Hat-tricks by strikers Akram Afif and Baghdad Bounedjah propelled Al Sadd to a dominant 8-1 win against struggling Qatar SC as the top QNB Stars League (QSL) side maintained their four-point lead in the standings yesterday.
Abdelkarim Hassan (23rd minute), Bounedjah (30th-min penalty, 84th and 90+2 minutes), Afif (35th, 58th and 71st minutes) and Hassan Al Haydous (45+3 penalty) scored Al Sadd’s goals as The Wolves took their points tally to 47, four more than reigning champions Al Duhail who defeated Al Ahli 6-0 in the day’s early kick-off.
Bahaa Abdulrahman pulled one back for Qatar SC in the 52nd minute.
It was yet another big-margin victory for Al Sadd this season, their 15th which is the most by any team, while Qatar SC suffered their 10th defeat.
The lethal duo of tournament top scorer Bounedjah and Afif, as always, wreaked havoc among the Qatar SC ranks.
Asia’s best player and left-back Abdulkarim started it all by sending in a long-range stunner past the outstretched hand of Qatar SC goalkeeper Jassim Al Hail, who found the proceedings hard against the marauding Al Sadd players.
Bounedjah doubled the lead by converting a penalty awarded by referee Mohammed Al Shammari after the Algerian striker was brought down inside the box by Omar Al Emadi.
Akram opened his scoring with a brilliant scissor cut past the goalkeeper and three defenders stationed at the goalline.
Qatar national team captain Al Haydous made it 4-0 at the stroke of half-time whistle by sending in a penalty, which was awarded after Akram was tripped by the goalkeeper.
After Bahaa reduced the margin, Afif and Bounedjah found the mark twice more in the second half to make the final score read 8-1 as Qatar SC remained on 16 points.
Elsewhere, a brilliant double by Yousef El Arabi and the maiden QSL goal for Japanese star Shoya Nakajima were the highlights as the reigning champions Al Duhail blanked Al Ahli 6-0 in their round 18 at home.
Mehdi Benatia (20th minute), Mohammed Muntari (38th), Nakajima (52nd), Murad Naji (68th) and El Arabi (80th and 88th minutes) scored the goals.
Al Duhail, who were held goalless by Al Gharafa in Week 17, were thus back to their lethal form.
In the process, The Red Knights moved to 43 points as Al Ahli stayed on 29. It was Al Duhail’s 13th victory, while The Brigadiers suffered their seventh defeat.
Benatia, who joined Al Duhail from Italian giants Juventus during the January transfer window, opened the scoring for his first goal in Qatar besides displaying a solid show in defence. The Moroccan steered home Murad’s free-kick from the right.
Muntari made it 2-0 when he linked up with Shoya before beating goalkeeper Ivanildo Rodrigues with a delightful chip.
Winter signing Nakajima opened his account in Qatar with a beautiful goal, hammering the ball into the roof of the net from inside the box to make it 3-0.
Luis Martin replaced Asim Madibo before the half-time break, while El Arabi also took the field after the breather, replacing Muntari.
Right-back Murad was rewarded for his hard work with a goal when he directed Karim Boudiaf’s long ball into the net.
El Arabi, the last two seasons’ top scorer, added two more goals to complete the tally.
The Moroccan striker scored his first goal off a pass from substitute Nasser Al Yazidi. He found the target a second time with another first-time finish.
