Al Duhail suffered a 1-0 defeat to Emirati side Al Wahda in the Qatari-Emirati Super Cup clash for the Challenge Shield, which was played at Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Syrian striker Omar Khribin scored the only goal of the match from the penalty spot in the 29th minute. Al Duhail started the match on the front foot and looked to threaten the Al Wahda goal early on, but their task became more difficult after goalkeeper Salah Zakaria was sent off in the 10th minute for fouling Khribin outside the area.
Al Wahda capitalised on their numerical advantage and opened the scoring when they were awarded a penalty following Sultan al-Brake’s foul on Oliveira. Khribin stepped up and calmly converted the spot kick.
Al Duhail came close to equalising when Adel Boulbina unleashed a powerful effort from the edge of the area, but the shot was saved by the Al Wahda goalkeeper in the 39th minute.
French midfielder Benjamin Bourigeaud also missed a good opportunity in the 68th minute after failing to control Al Buraik’s cross when well placed in front of goal.
Khribin threatened again in the 75th minute with a header following a cross, but goalkeeper Burki made the save. The clearance sparked a counter attack for Al Duhail, with Boulbina breaking through on goal, but a delayed shot allowed the Al Wahda defence to recover and clear the danger.
Al Duhail continued to press in search of an equaliser, with Boulbina firing another powerful shot from distance in the 83rd minute, only for Al Wahda goalkeeper Naif Al Hammadi to turn it behind for a corner.
In stoppage time, the referee disallowed a goal scored by Boulbina after consulting VAR in the 90+3 minute, before blowing the final whistle.
Sadd to face Shabab Al Ahli today
Meanwhile, Al Sadd coach Roberto Mancini confirmed that his team is fully prepared and determined to win the Super Shield title when they face Shabab Al Ahli today at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
Mancini described the Super Shield as a final likely to be decided by fine margins, requiring maximum effort, focus, and the best possible performance from his players. He added that the match will be different from the previous meeting between the two sides in the AFC Champions League Elite group stage, which Al Sadd won, stressing that motivation will be high for both teams.
Al Sadd forward Roberto Firmino said the players are eager to rise to the occasion and deliver a performance that will make the fans proud. “Finals are always exciting and competitive. I enjoy these matches and try to motivate my teammates to give extra effort to win the title, which is our main goal,” Firmino said.