Baghdad’s double seals Al Sadd win over Al Wasl

Baghdad Bounedjah underlined his tremendous importance for Al Sadd bypowering the Qatar giants to a 2-1 win over the UAE’s Al Wasl in theirAFC Champions League Group C clash yesterday.Having only made his return to action last week after more than two and ahalf months after suffering a fracture in late November, the Algerianstruck twice late in the second half to help the 2011 continentalchampions gain three points at the Zabeel Stadium in Dubai.It marked a significant first victory for a Qatari side in the Emiratessince the illegal blockade was imposed on the country last June by SaudiArabia, the UAE and Bahrain with support from Egypt.On Monday, Qatar’s Al Gharafa had fallen to a 3-2 defeat against theUAE’s Al Jazira in Abu Dhabi marking the first visit by a team fromQatar to the UAE.The Asian Football Confederation had earlier rejected demands by the UAEand Saudi football federations to have their Champions League matchesinvolving Qatari sides played on neutral venues.Bounedjah, who was introduced as a substitute in the second half by AlSadd coach Jesualdo Ferreira, lived up to what was expected of him bymaking an immediate impact on the game.Al Wasl were returning to the continental competition after a decade andtheir inexperience was clearly on display, although it was they whoscored first, in the 26th minute by Fabio Lima.Lima advanced into the area from the right flank and scored past Al Saddgoalkeeper Saad al-Sheeb with a low shot from a tight angle afterhoodwinking two defenders.It was the versatile Brazilian’s 100th goal for Al Wasl since he joinedthem in 2014, but the hosts thereafter found the Al Sadd defence tootough to crack.Bounedjah had a first crack at the Al Wasl goal with an overhead kick inthe 70th minute but eventually found the target in the 79th minute whenhe connected a sublime Xavi pass with a shot on the turn.In the final minute of the game, Bounedjah was on target again, after hegot on the end of a cross by substitute Akram Afif which the Al Wasldefence failed deal with. The striker finished on the half-volley toseal an important victory for the former champions.“I am very pleased with the victory especially it is our first match ofthe tournament,” Ferreira said. “ We have a team full of capable playerswho also don’t lack in confidence,” he added.He also had a word of praise for Bounedjah.“He is one of our key players who never fails to deliver. He wasunfortunately injured in a QNB Stars League game in November but he hasmade a tremendous recovery which will be a boost for us as the seasonprogresses,” the Portuguese added. Al Sadd welcome Persepolis to Doha next week while Al Wasl travel to Qarshi in Uzbekistan to face Nasaf.Meanwhile in Doha, Al Rayyan captain Rodrigo Tabata had a mixed eveningas his side played out an entertaining 2-2 draw against Iran’s Esteghlalat Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Group D.Two-time AFC Player of the Year Server Djeparov found space inside AlRayyan’s box and sent a pacey cross that was deflected off Tabata andinto his own net to hand Esteghlal the lead inside six minutes.Tabata shortly made amends, sending a pinpoint delivery from a free-kickto find Abderrazzak Hamdallah. The Moroccan directed his headeraccurately to beat goalkeeper Seyed Hosseini and bring Al Rayyan levelin the 18th minute.The duo combined again 10 minutes later to turn the tie around. Thistime Hamed-Allah was the creator as he cut inside from the left flankand laid off a pass for Tabata who applied a first-time finish frominside the box, leaving Hosseini helpless.Al Rayyan were reduced to 10 men for the final 10 minutes after Tabata was dismissed for a late challenge on Pejman Montazeri.Esteghlal took advantage of their numerical superiority to equalise twominutes from time as Ali Ghorbani headed home Omid Ebrahimi’s cross fromthe right wing.Esteghlal face Saudi champions Al Hilal next while Al Rayyan travel to the UAE to play Al Ain.