Al Duhail First Football Team continued their steady climb up the table with a resilient 3-1 victory over Al Shamal in Round 19 of the Doha Bank Stars League. The clash, held at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, saw the “Red Knights” overcome an early deficit to secure all three points.
The Lineup
Al Duhail Head coach Djamel Belmadi fielded the following starting XI:
Salah Zakaria (GK); Bassam Al Rawi, Edmilson Junior, Krzysztof Piątek, Youssouf Sabaly, Sultan Al Brake, Benjamin Bourigeaud, Ibrahima Bamba, Mubarak Shanan, Boubakary Soumaré, and Adel Boulbina.
Match Timeline: From Setback to Success
Early Pressure: Al Duhail signaled their intent early. In the 10th minute, Krzysztof Piątek tested Al Shamal keeper with a stinging long-range effort that required a sharp save.
The Breakthrough: Despite Al Duhail pressure, it was Al Shamal who struck first. Veteran striker Baghdad Bounedjah found the back of the net in the 40th minute, putting the visitors ahead.
The Equalizer (51’): The momentum shifted early in the second half. Edmilson Junior restored parity after latching onto a clinical pass from Piątek, firing a low drive that proved too powerful for the goalkeeper to handle.
VAR Drama (65’): Al-Duhail thought they had taken the lead when Adel Boulbina turned in a rebound from a Piątek header. However, after a lengthy VAR review, the goal was chalked off for offside.
Late Heroics (90’): With the match seemingly heading for a draw, goalkeeper Salah Zakaria turned playmaker. His magnificent long ball bypassed the entire Al Shamal midfield to find Boulbina, who used his blistering pace to beat the defense and slot home for 2-1.
The Final Blow (90+6’): In the dying seconds, Piątek put the result beyond doubt. After a clever assist from Boulbina, the Polish striker beat the offside trap and finished with composure to make it 3-1.
Referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim’s final whistle confirmed a vital three points for the “Tornado.” The win brings Al Duhail total to 27 points, cementing their hold on sixth place in the league standing table.
