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Tribune News NetworkDohaIt took their captain Rodrigo Tabata to strike after Al Sadd kept searching for a winning goal in their delightful come from behind 3-2 win over Al Ahli in their Week 3 match of the 2022-2023 season of QNB Stars League at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Tuesday.This was the reigning champions’ first win of the season after they lost 3-4 to Al Markhiya in the opener and were held to a 1-1 draw by Umm Salal in the second round. The much-needed win was achieved through a fine effort of Tabata in the final minutes of the match.Both Al Sadd and Al Ahli were locked 2-2 at half time.The goals for Al Sadd were scored by Ahmad Al Saeed (18th minute), Guilherme Torres (45+3 minute) and Rodrigo Tabata (87th minute). For Al Ahli, Yazan Al Naimat scored in the 9th minute and Sofiane Hanni in the 42nd minute.It was an exciting clash with plenty of goal-mouth action where both the team’s goalkeepers -- Jehad Mohammad of Al Sadd and Yazan Naim of Al Ahli excelled under the bar.The first half was full of big action with four goals being scored but the second half began on a sedate note with Al Ahli’s Abdulrasheed Ibrahim pulling up his hamstring just when he was moving with the ball dangerously into the box after being set up with a fine pass from Hanni.Al Ahli had another anxious moment, minutes later, when Hanni’s header hit the top of the left pole of the goal.Later, Ahli launched another attack on the Al Sadd citadel in the 70th minute but goalie Jehad made a superb save.The action was repeated at Al Ahli’s end within minutes with a Santi Cazorla free-kick flying in straight and fast but goalkeeper Yazan held fort.The much-desired breakthrough for the Wolves came through Tabata, who latched on to a great pass from Andre Ayew who worked his way past Al Ahli defenders. But to Tabata’s credit his touch was nimble and swift that beat the otherwise alert goalkeeper.The earlier four goals were delightful as well. The first came from Al Ahli’s Yazan Al Naimat, who made a deft left touch to score after a golden pass from Abdulrasheed.The second was from Al Sadd’s Al Saeed was a reflecting repeat of the first one. Al Saeed waited for a perfect curling cross from Abdulla Al Yazidi to score.The third from Ahli’s Hanni was a powerful kick off a rebound from goalkeeper’s hands off Yazan Al Naimat’s attempt.The fourth and euqalising goal came from Torres, who scored off a Badghdad Boundejah’s shot rebound off the goal post following a flag kick.While Bounedjah couldn’t make the list of scorers in the match, he was all over the opponent’s danger area and had several shots at the goal.Bammou brace as Al Shamal beat Al Gharafa 2-1In the other match of the day played at the Al Thumama Stadium, Yacine Bammou struck twice in the space of eight minutes as Al Shamal beat Al Gharafa 2-1. Moroccan forward Yacine Brahimi had given Gharafa lead in the 24th minute but Bammou’s twin strikes in the 69th and 77th minute ensured win for Shamal, who climbed to third in the table with six points. Gharafa are sitting sixth with four points after three matches.The match was exciting in the second half. The course of the game changed after the goal and Al Shamal left their defensive caution. They almost equalized through Nani, but for the brilliance of Al Gharafa goalkeeper Qasim Burhan, who turned it into a corner with great difficulty in the 36th minute.
