Al Sadd bagged their 72nd trophy in history as they beat Al Arabi 4-0 in the final of the 2019-20 Ooredoo Cup at the Al Duhail Stadium yesterday.
This is the second time Al Sadd have win this title after previously triumphing in the 2010-11 season, when the event was called the Qatar Stars Cup.
Yousef Abdulrazaq (17th minute), Nam Tae-Hee (53rd minute), Santi Cazorla (77th minute) and Rodrigo Tabata (90+1) scored for Al Sadd.
Al Sadd were crowned as champions in a festive atmosphere as their players and technical as well as administrative staff celebrated the occasion.
Al Sadd had much more of the ball right throughout the game and were in control, whereas Al Arabi showed promise in the first half only to lose steam as the match wore on.
After The Wolves’ initial forays, Al Arabi created a few chances.
Hamdi Harbaoui hit his shot against the crossbar from long distance in the 11th minute. Immediately afterwards, Mehrdad Mohammadi missed a sitter with only the goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham to beat.
Hamdi was at it again in the 16th minute, but Meshaal blocked shot this time from a tight angle.
Al Sadd surged ahead the next minute as Yousef was spot-on for a through pass from the middle by Nam. He then beat Al Arabi goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada, who had left his charge too far, before sending the ball into an open net of the team he represented last season.
Soon after restart, Nam sent a shot wide, but he was not to be denied and found the target with the help of Cazorla, catching the rival defence napping.
Cazorla added a third goal with an easy shot from a pass by Yousef.
As Al Sadd were cruising to an easy win, Al Arabi’s Sebastian Soria made an attempt at the goal, only to be thwarted by Meshaal.
Tabata rounded off the tally in stoppage time off a pass by Nam.
Al Sadd made it to the final by beating Al Ahli 2-0 in the semi-finals. They progressed to the last four, edging Qatar SC 5-4 on penalties after the regular time ended in a 1-1 draw.
Al Sadd advanced to the knockout quarter-finals as the third team from Group A with seven points, after Al Ahli (12 points) and Al Wakrah (eight points).
Al Sadd goalkeeper Barsham congratulated the players and fans of the club after the victory.
“This triumph came after a great effort on the part of all the players. We were successful in the match and we were able to do what was required,” said Barsham.
He added: “Winning the title is a great boost for the morale of the players after the defeat in the Champions League and the difficult stage the team went through after the coronavirus crisis. We have the spirit to give our best in the upcoming tournaments as well.”
On winning the title in the absence of international players, he said: “Yes, the international players are away with the national team but Al Sadd will play with those who are available; all the players have the ability to play at a good level. 
“It has been an exceptional tournament for us and we hope that it will be the start of better things in the future, be it domestically or in the new edition of the Champions League.”
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