Doha: Al Wakrah defeated Umm Salal 3-0 in Week 9 of the 2024-2025 season Ooredoo Stars League at the Al Janoub Stadium on Friday to extend their points tally to 14.
Goals from Aïssa Laïdouni (7th minute), Ayoub Assal (82nd minute), and Jacinto Dala (89th minute) gave the Blue Wave the victory, ensuring Umm Salal remained on 11 points.
The Blue Wave got off to a dream start with their danger man Laïdouni hitting the bull’s eye from 25- yards with a right-footed shot in the seventh minute.
Umm Salal almost got their equalizer two minutes later, only for Antonio Mance’s right-footed shot, from a sublime pass by Oussama Tannane, to be brilliantly saved by Al Wakrah’s goalkeeper Mohammed Al Bakri.
Al Wakrah grew stronger with each tick of the clock, and they could have added more to their goals if not for the heroics of goalkeeper Landing Badji, who came to the rescue of the Orange Fortress on a number of occasions.
Umm Salal, led by French coach Patrice Carteron, on the other hand, got a couple of opportunities, especially through Tannane, but poor finishing was their bane as the Al Wakrah led the way in the first half.
Al Wakrah continued from where they stopped in the second half as they continued to give the Orange Fortress backline constant headaches with their fast-paced gameplay.
With seemingly unending pressure from the hosts, Umm Salal were reduced to ten men in the 69th minute, with Khaled Al Zereiqi getting the marching orders for violent conduct.
The Blue Wave took full advantage of their numerical strength as they doubled their lead in the 82nd minute through Assal, who netted with a right-footed shot from the centre of the box.
Two minutes later, it appeared to be 3-0 for Al Wakrah, with Assal scoring after hijacking the ball from Umm Salal’s Marouane Louadni in a moment of indecision with his goalkeeper to tap home at close range. The goal was, however, rescinded after a lengthy VAR check.
Al Wakrah eventually got their third of the night in the 89th minute through Dala, who rammed the ball in from the edge of the box with a thunderous shot from a great assist by Ricardo Gomes to ensure the Blue Wave emphatic victory and the maximum points.
