Tribune News Network
Doha
Omar Salah scored a hat-trick as Al Wakrah beat Al Khor a 5-1 in the opening round match of Group B of the QSL Cup for 2024-2025 season at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium on Saturday.
In the other match of the day, Al Shamal defeated Umm Salal 2-1 in their Group B match at the Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium.
Hat-trick man Salah struck in the 12th, 16th and 44th minutes of the match while Mohamed Khaled Hassan (51st minute) and Nasser Al Yazidi 53rd minute scored the other two goals for The Blue Wave.
Al Khor’s only goal was scored by Fares Saeed Amer in the 17th minute.
Al Wakrah launched their first offensive in the 10th minute but the telling header was punched away by Al Khor goalkeeper Ali Nader.
But two minutes later, the Al Wakrah wave hit again as Salah and Al Yazidi combined superbly breaking in from the left with the former providing the pass. Al Yazidi’s kick was however blocked by the goalkeeper but the ball bounced to a waiting Salah on the right who coolly put it into the net (1-0).
The goal-scoring action continued as a minute later, Salah broke in again to realize a fine move initiated by Abdelkarim Hassan from left of the midfield. Salah first headed the ball but it fell out of a diving goalkeeper’s hands before kicking it back into the goal (2-0)
Al Khor immediately hit back with an against the run of play strike with Fares Saeed seizing an opportunity as he battled to win the ball from defenders Yousef Tarek and Aissa Laidouni just inside the ‘D’ to run in and beat the Al Wakrah keeper Saoud Mubarak (1-2).
Just before half time, Salah completed his hat-trick as Al Khor defence tried to clear a Abdelkarim ball from the left but it went to Salah who moved in to make his way for a fine field goal, his third of the match (3-1).
Al Khor’s hopes of fighting back were dashed soon in the second half as Jassim Fahad provided Mohamed Khaled with a fine lob from the right to head the fourth goal of his team (4-1).
Minutes later, with Al Khor defenders grappling to keep control of the ball just outside the box, Al Yazidi pounched on a chance to turn and make a telling kick (5-1).
Omar, Mannai score
for Al Shamal
Mohamad Omar (41st minute) and Mohammad Naser Al Mannai (61st minute) scored while Al Shamal’s consolation goal came off the boot of Antonio Mance in 90+4 minute.
Mance earlier had a moment of brilliance in the 23rd minute, as he cut past three Al Shamal defenders inside the 18-yard box before releasing a low-driven shot that went just inches wide off the goal.
Al Shamal got their own major chance in the 38th minute, with Mohammad Naser Al Mannai having the opportunity to fire home a long ranger after a rebound of Abdulaziz Mohammed’s shot, but he miscued the ball.
Three minutes later, the deadlock was broken with Omar’s well-taken shot from the edge of the box sailed into the back of the net.
Al Mannai eventually registered his name on the scorers sheet in the 61st minute from a set piece with his low but precise shot-catching goalkeeper Jehad Mohammad Hudib napping.
A late rally saw Umm Salal cut the deficit in stoppage time, with Mance nodding home from close range following a brilliant pass by substitute Othman Alawi.