DOHA: Omar Salah scored a hat-trick as Al Wakrah beat Al Khor 5-1 in Round 1 Group B of the 2024-2025 season QSL Cup at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium of Al Gharafa club on Saturday.
Salah struck in the 13th, 15th and 44th minutes of the match while Mohammed Khaled (51st minute) and Nasser Al Yazidi (54th minute) scored the other goals for The Blue Wave.
Al Khor’s only goal was scored by Fares Saeed in the 16th minute.
Group B also includes Umm Salal, Al Gharafa and Al Shamal.
Al Wakrah were clearly the dominating side and showed their intent right from the word go. They 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, Al Wakrah 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 Mohammed 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).
