Al Duhail achieved a well-deserved victory over Al Sailiya with two unanswered goals in their match yesterday at Al Bayt Stadium in the first round of the Doha Bank Stars League competitions. Al-Duhail Edmilson Jr. scored two goals in the 62nd and 66th minutes, giving his team the first three points in the competition. The first half ended in a goalless draw. Despite Al-Duhail’s advantage in possession of the ball and control, it did not succeed in converting the opportunities it had into goals, while Al-Sailiya succeeded in appearing in an organized defensive manner and maintaining a clean sheet. In the second half, Al-Duhail increased its offensive pressure, and Al-Moez Ali almost opened the scoring in the 55th minute, after meeting a cross from Edmilson with a direct shot that bounced off the left post.
Al-Duhail’s attempts then continued, resulting in the first goal, which was scored by Edmilson Jr. in the 62nd minute, taking advantage of a pass from Omar Sekou, which he met with a direct shot into the Al-Sailiya net.
Only four minutes had passed until Edmilson returned to score the second goal for him and his team, crowning an organized attack that ended with a pass from Mubarak Shannan, which he met with a direct shot with his left foot, to increase Al-Duhail’s lead by two unanswered goals.
Al Sailiya tried to return to the match, and Anwar Al Ghazi almost reduced the difference in the 77th minute after penetrating into the Al Duhail penalty area and shooting a powerful ball, but it hit the right post and passed far from the goal. After that, attempts from both sides continued, but without changing the result, Al-Duhail decided to win and get the three points.
It is known that Al-Duhail has moved far away from the podium in the past seasons and is striving, under the leadership of its Algerian coach, Jamal Belmadi, to return to competing for all the titles of the season, in addition to competing strongly in the Gulf Club Championship, in which Al-Duhail will represent the Qatari clubs.
Asim Madibo: Our goal is to win podiums and compete for all titles
Assem Madbou, the star of Al Duhail Club, confirmed that the victory over Al Sailiya in the first round of the Doha Bank Stars League represents an important and positive start for the team in its journey during the new season, pointing out that the match was not easy in light of the good performance presented by Al Sailiya.
Madibo said that Al-Duhail achieved the first goal by obtaining the three points, but at the same time he stressed the importance of reviewing performance, correcting the mistakes that appeared during the match, and working to develop the level from one match to another, stressing that the team must enter all its matches with a winning mentality.
He added: “Al-Duhail is a big club whose ambition is always to compete for championships, and we must work with all our might to return to the podium and make up for the past years during which we stayed away from titles. This season we have important entitlements, including participation in the Gulf Club Championship, and Al-Duhail must be strongly present among the clubs competing for the title.”
Madibo concluded his statement by saying: “I also hope that we will see more young and promising names in the team’s ranks, because Al-Duhail always needs new blood capable of continuing the club’s journey and enhancing its future, in addition to the experience of the current players.”
Junior is the best player in the match
Al Duhail star Edmilson Jr. won the best player award in the match that brought his team together with Al Sailiya at the opening of the two teams’ campaign in the Doha Bank Stars League, after the distinguished level he presented and his effective contribution to achieving the victory. Junior appeared wonderfully during the match, confirming his technical value and his ability to make a difference, after he contributed to scoring Al-Duhail’s two goals against Al-Sailiya, leading his team to a positive start in its league journey. The player deserved praise for his influential movements and offensive presence throughout the match, while the award represents an additional motivation for him to continue to shine and help Al-Duhail compete strongly during the current season.