Sheikh Joaan crowns Al-Duhail champion of the Qatar Football Cup for the third time in its history

His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, crowned Al Duhail team as champions of the Qatar Football Cup after defeating Al Sadd with two goals without a response in the final match, which was held between them today at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium for the eighth edition of the tournament. Al-Duhail equalized Al-Sadd’s titles by winning the third title in its history in the tournament that started in the 1994-1995 season under the name of the Crown Prince’s Cup, before the name was changed to the Qatar Cup as of the 2013-2014 season, to go towards the quartet’s dream after achieving the second title in the current season, where he was crowned champion. For the Irid Cup .. It leads the Qatari League / QNB Stars League / currently with 42 points, and competes in the quarter-finals of His Highness the Emir’s Cup. Al Duhail’s goals were scored by Kenyan Michael Olonga in the 47th minute and Tunisian Ferjani Sassi in the 53rd minute. The match was exciting since its inception, as the two teams overcame the period of feeling the pulse and quickly entered the atmosphere of the meeting. Al-Sadd took the initiative when it threatened the Al-Duhail goal after just one minute through the Algerian Baghdad Bounedjah’s shot, which passed next to , before the dangerous scene was repeated with the header of Moroccan Ayoub Al-Kaabi. Goalkeeper Salah Zakaria saved the situation in the fourth minute. Gradually, Al-Duhail overcame the period of Al-Sadd’s supremacy, imposing parity when he responded in kind to the threat of his opponent, putting goalkeeper Saad Al-Sheeb in danger, as Kenyan Michael Olonga hit a powerful ball that passed near in the 16th minute, while Muhammad Musa penetrated and reversed a ball in front of the goal that did not find anyone. He follows her in the 22nd minute. Halfway through the first half, the excitement reached its climax when the two teams exchanged wasted chances to score. Al-Sadd striker Ayoub Al-Kaabi did not handle the ball and reached it behind the defense without control, turning it with his head over the crossbar in the 26th minute. Goalkeeper Saad Al-Sheeb, to return to the same player who set it up for South Korean Nam Tae-hee, fired it powerfully, and it bounced off the crossbar in the 28th minute, in one of the most dangerous chances of the match. After a period of calm, the debate returned in the final minutes of the first half, and Al Sadd almost scored when Akram Afif passed a ball towards Baghdad Bounedjah, which he shot powerfully into the side netting in the 45th minute, without discouraging Al Duhail from searching for reaching the Al Sadd net when Nam Tae Hee penetrated. He passed to Longa, so Saad Al-Sheeb intervened and saved the situation in the 45 + 2 minute, so the first half ended with a goalless draw. Al-Duhail ignited the course of the second half early when he scored the first goal after only two minutes, after Al-Moez Ali sent the ball behind the defense towards Tunisian Ferjani Sassi, who in turn prepared it for striker Olonga to put it into the net in the 47th minute. Al-Sadd launched the attack in order to return to the match quickly, while Al-Duhail continued its offensive efficiency through counter-attacks, reinforcing its lead with a second goal when Al-Moez set out and sent a cross that goalkeeper Saad Al-Sheeb pushed away, to waddle in front of Ferjani Sassi, to fire it into the net in the minute (54). Al-Sadd realized the need to search for the recording in order to pave the way back, so it threw its offensive weight, but Al-Duhail dealt with the situation with great intelligence, as it retreated to the back positions, closing all the outlets leading to its goal, relying on counter-attacks that almost brought the third goal after Al-Moez’s pass. Ferjani Sassi, who slowed down, shot a few meters from the goal in the 73rd minute. Bounedjah almost narrowed the gap for Al Sadd when he faced the goal from Hassan Al Haydous’ cross, but goalkeeper Salah Zakaria excelled in saving the situation in the 76th minute, while Al Duhail player Al Moez Ali tried to kill the match with a third goal when he hit a powerful ball that passed near in the 80th minute. Al-Sadd tried to return to the match for the remainder of the time, while Al-Duhail retreated to the defensive areas in order to preserve the result, to come out with a well-deserved victory that awarded it the second title in the current season 2022-2023, to go behind the efforts to achieve the quadruple.