Domestic giants Al Sadd crowned themselves with an unparalleled 18th and a second successive Qatar Stars League title over powering Al Ahli 5-0 in the final round 22 match of the 12-team Ooredoo Stars League (2024-2025 season) at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha.
His Excellency Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, President of Qatar Football Association and Qatar Stars League (QSL) along with Hani Taleb Ballan, CEO of QSL, and in presence of other officials honoured Al Sadd with the Falcon Shield as champions of 2024-2025 season Ooredoo Stars League.
Striker Akram Afif led the charge for The Wolves with the opening goal in the 13th minute (Penalty) before Moustafa Tarek Mashal (44th minute), Paula Otavio (45+2 minute), Rafa Mujica (67th minute), and Claudinho (81st minute) added more to the scoreline.
Al Sadd needed to win the final league match to keep at bay the hopes of their arch-rivals Al Duhail from catching up. Al Duhail not only needed to win their own last game against Al Khor but for Al Sadd to lose to become champions. That didn’t happen.
The much-needed victory ensured Al Sadd claimed the coveted prize once again, ending the season with 52 points. Al Duhail, with 1-0 win against Al Khor ended on 50 points.
Al Sadd, Al Duhail, and third-placed Al Gharafa all thus qualified for the new season of Asian Football Confederation’s Champions League Elite while the fourth-placed Al Ahli made it to AFC Champions League Two.
Speaking of Al Sadd’s triumph, who ended with 17 wins, 1 draw and 4 defeats overall, coach Felix Sanchez said, “This is our gift to all Al Sadd fans. It's been a long season which was a bit hard at the start but the team bounced back and in the end they knew they could attain the target and they showed it.
I am very happy for the players and the fans. Today it is time to enjoy the title victory. It was a close contest but in a league the team which shows consistency gains. We were consistent, especially in the second half of the league and we beat all our top opponents and we deserve this title:
Also savouring Al Sadd’s triumph at the stadium was the team’s and Barcelona’s former coach Xavi Hernandez. Al Sadd went up the lead early as Al Ahli’s Talal Abdulla Bahzad fouled while trying to tackle an advancing Afif inside the ‘D’ on the right and near the goalline. The referee initially ruled out a foul but a VAR check showed that Bahzad had stepped on the left-foot of Afif and that the latter wasn’t play-acting. Afif soon stepped up and scored coolly from the spot into the left corner.
A determined Al Ahli tried to make amends but in the 21st minute an Abdelrahman Mohamed Moustafa strike hit the bottom of the left post.
Fourteen minutes later, Moustafa had another chance as he came face to face with Al Sadd goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham, after being put through with the ball, but in trying to lob the ball over Barsham, the player did too much and the ball sailed over the post.
Al Sadd hit back strongly just ahead of the half time whistle. The lead was doubled after a Claudinho long strike was spilled by Al Ahli goalkeeper Marwan Sherif and a charging in Mashal put the ball into the net.
In the second session, Al Sadd stamped their class and authority further. Afif again lit up the stadium for his team’s numerous fans as he attempted to score with a left-footed strike in the 66th minute but the kick was well stopped by a diving Sherif. It didn’t matter as in the very next minute Afif provided Mujica with a fine cross from the right to score (4-0). Claudinho also joined in the goal-scoring delight as he thumped in a down-headed volley from Paulo Otavio (5-0).
Soon after Al Sadd’s game, Afif sported a t-shirt which said, ‘The Night of Hit Show, Impossible became possible. Only with Al Sadd’.It was Al Sadd’s tenth Qatar Stars League triumph since the 1999-2000 season. Al Sadd fans displayed the digit “80” placards signifying The Wolves’ whopping number of titles won so far in domestic and regional tournaments.
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