Doha: Al Sailiya staged a spirited comeback to earn a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Al Ahli in their Week 20 clash of the 2025-2026 Doha Bank Stars League at Al Thumama Stadium on Friday.
Al Ahli looked set for victory after racing into a two-goal lead within the first 13 minutes, but Al Sailiya mounted a determined second-half fightback to snatch a valuable point.
Driss Fettouhi opened the scoring for Al Ahli in the ninth minute with a powerful strike from outside the box, assisted by Julian Draxler. Just four minutes later, Michel Vlap doubled the advantage, capitalising on a clever back-heel pass from Oumar Sekou to beat the goalkeeper.
Al Sailiya responded strongly after the interval. Diago Amaro pulled one back in the 54th minute with a superb leaping header from a corner kick, before Cristian Del Bello levelled the match in the 80th minute. Del Bello picked up the ball on the right flank, weaved his way past several defenders, and fired home to complete the comeback.
The result lifted Al Ahli to 20 points, while Al Sailiya moved to 19 points and remained in eleventh place in the standings.
The draw highlighted Al Ahli’s bright start and attacking intent early on, contrasted by Al Sailiya’s resilience and ability to exploit set-pieces and individual brilliance in the second half.
Both teams will view the outcome as a missed opportunity — Al Ahli for failing to hold onto their lead, and Al Sailiya for coming from behind yet not securing all three points in a match that swung dramatically in momentum.
