Al Sadd’s Akram Afif, Baghdad Bounedjah and skipper Hassan Al Haydos celebrate after the Algerian striker scored one of his three goals against Al Gharafa at the Al Gharafa Stadium yesterday.
In a sporting gesture, former champions Al Gharafa yesterday presented Al Sadd star Abdelkarim Hassan - who won the AFC Player of the Year award last Tuesday - with a bouquet of flowers just seconds before the kickoff.
The smiles on the faces of Al Gharafa players quickly disappeared thereafter as Al Sadd crushed Al Gharafa 8-1 in round 13 of their QNB Stars League match yesterday.
Strikers Baghdad Bounedjah (19, 28, 45 + 3 penalty) and Akram Afif (25, 40, 57 penalty) went on a goal-scoring spree of their own with each of the forwards competing hat-tricks to score the bulk of the goals for Al Sadd.
Baghdad and Afif were well supported by captain Hassan Al Haydos (63) and substitute Hassan Ahmed (87) as Al Sadd completed their crushing 8-1 win at Al Gharafa Stadium.
For the home side Al Gharafa, who missed the services of Dutch star Wesley Sneijder, Mahdi Taremi found the net in the 52nd minute. Sneijder watched the proceedings from the stands.
In the 7th minute of the one-sided clash, new Asian king Hassan yesterday broke free off his marker and charged into the Al Gharafa box. With ample space at his disposal, Hassan fired a bullet from close range but keeper Yusuf Hassan Ali blocked the threatening move by punching the ball away.
In the 17th minute, Hassan once again charged into the Al Gharafa box but his cross received a poor finish from Afif who misfired with his shot.
Two minutes later, Al Sadd grabbed the opening goal thanks to a rock solid finish by Bounedjah who showed speed and quality football skills in one move.
The Algerian exhibited incredible pace to hoodwink his marker Ilyas Ahmad after receiving a loopy cross from the midfield. Once he moved into the Al Gharafa box, Bounedjah found one of the narrowest angles to shoot the ball past keeper Ali for his 24th strike this season.
Al Sadd coach Jesualdo Ferriera raised a double thumbs-up from the touchline as Bounedjah celebrated yet another goal. Coch Ferreira would repeat his thumbs-up gestures time and again in the match as Al Sadd did not relent in the entire match.
Three minutes later Al Gharafa’s Abdelaziz Hatem charged into the Al Sadd box but his shot from close range was neatly saved by Al Sadd keeper Saad Al Sheeb.
In the 25th minute, Afif doubled Al Sadd lead from close range, flicking the ball into the net with a right-footed shot. Just three minutes later, Al Sadd captain Al Haydos slipped in a neat cross from the flank and Bounedjah - who had charged into the box - deflected the ball into the net as Al Sadd went 3-0 up.
In the 40th minute, Afif showed amazing speed with the ball and despite being hotly chased by an Al Gharafa player he calmly slotted the ball past keeper Ali for Al Sadd’s fourth goal in the first half.
But that was not the end of woes for Al Gharafa in the first half. There was time for one more goal. In injury time, Al Gharafa’s Yousuf Muftah was shown a yellow card for a rough tackle on Afif in the Al Gharafa box. Seconds later, Bounedjah converted the resultant penalty from the needless tackle on Afif.
Al Gharafa’s Taremi converted a penalty to reduce the deficit in the 52nd minute - the ball hit the crossbar and went into the net to draw smiles from rivals and foes alike. Two minutes later, Ahmed Alaaeldin of Al Gharafa fired a long-range shot that dipped on Al Sadd keeper Al Sheeb who managed to punch the ball away. Seconds later, Al Gharafa’s Slovakian star Vladimir Weiss misfired with his shot from close range with an open chance to nail a goal.
In the 57th minute, Afif also completed his hat-trick when he scored Al Sadd’s sixth goal off a penalty kick that was initially saved by keeper Ali. But Afif picked up the rebound and flicked the ball into the net. In the 63rd minute, Al Haydos made it 7-1 for Al Sadd after deflecting a neat cross from Bounedjah into the net.
Just a couple of minutes after replacing Afif, Al Sadd substitute Ahmed fired a left-footed drive into the Al Gharafa net following a goalline melee in the 87th minute.
Ahmed celebrated the goal with coach Ferreira as Al Sadd completed their 8-1 win.
