Doha: Al Khor and Al Shahania played out a goalless draw in Week 2 of the 2024-2025 season Ooredoo Stars League at the Al Bayt Stadium on Sunday.
With the results, both teams now have two points each, having drawn their opening matches of the season.
Given their last week’s results, the two teams were understandably eager to get the most points in this encounter in order to strengthen their position in the highly competitive league. This was reflected in their approach, as they both went on the offensive in search of an early goal from the start of the game.
For all their efforts, however, the first 20 minutes of the match produced no really “big wow moment” as no major chances were created with the goalkeepers enjoying an apparent early break.
Things began to get lively as the match approached the half-hour mark, and it took the quick intervention of Al Shahania’s Hossam Kamal to stop a goal-bound Yohan Boli from finishing off his move in the 25th minute, with only goalkeeper Bautista Burke left to beat.
Two minutes later, a free-kick from the edge of Al Shahania’s 18-yard box produced a goal-mouth scramble that took the diving touch from Burke to save the situation before Jaime Rubio finally cleared the danger away.
Al Shahania got their own moment of excitement almost immediately after that, with Petrus Amersfoort making a darting run and dribbling inside the opponents’ final third that ended with a clearance by Al Khor’s Rúben Semedo.
The situation remained a goalless stalemate as the referee blew for the required halftime break.
Five minutes into the second half, Al Shahania had a penalty call after Mohammed Ibrahim appeared to have been hacked down by Semedo in the final third, but the decision was stood down after a lengthy VAR review.
A defensive error almost cost Al Shahania a goal in the 54th minute, but goalkeeper Burke’s smart save from a tight angle prevented Boli from finally breaking the deadlock.
Al Khor continued to pile pressure on Al Shahania, and the Argentina-born Burke had to make another fantastic save in the 61st minute, with Al Khor’s Abdulla Al Ali’s thunderous shot seemingly heading home for a goal.
Boli had what appeared to be the best chance of the night so far in the 74th minute after collecting a pass in an unmarked position inside Al Shahania’s box, but his shot went disappointingly wide.
A minute later, the Ivory Coast international again got a sublime and inch-perfect pass from captain Sofiane Hanni in an advantageous position, but his shot was birlliantly parried out of touch by Burke.
After several other back and forths, the match was eventually brought to an end as a no victor, no vanquished contest, with each side grabbing a point.
