Leaders Al Sadd virtually assured themselves of the 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League title as they thrashed Al Ahli 9-1 in the postponed match from Week 13 at the Al Thumama Stadium on Wednesday.

The Wolves are now on 46 points after 20 games in the league rankings with Al Gharafa and Al Rayyan being second and third respectively with 41 points each and would need to win their two remaining matches and hope for Al Sadd lose both their games for an improbability. Al Ahli are ninth with 20 points.

Baghdad Bounedjah scored a hat-trick for the winners striking in the 69th, 80th and 90+5 minute, while Akram Afif added a brace scoring in the third and 56th minutes besides providing three assists. The other Al Sadd goals came from Yousuf Abdurisag (32nd minute), Guilherme Torres (35th minute), Mohammed Al Ishaq (own goal, 60th minute) and Ilyes Housni (75th minute).

Al Ahli’s consolation goal was scored by Oumar Sekou in the 45th minute.

Adding to Al Ahli’s woes was the sending off of Idrissia Doumbia in the 50th minute after he was shown the red card for injuring Al Sadd’s Mohammed Waad in the eye after they fell down following a challenge for the ball. VAR check made the referee change the initial yellow card decision to red.

Till the incident happened, Al Sadd were leading 3-1.

Earlier, The Wolves began their marauding show soon after the kick-off as the mercurial Afif (the league’s top scorer this season so far) made the most of a fine back heel pass from Gonzalo Plata which was let through his legs by Hassan Al Haydou,s for the onrushing player to do the needful.

Afif struck again within minutes but the goal was ruled out after a VAR. Half-an-hour later, Afif provided a great ball down the right for Abdurisag to produce a delightful strike as he cut through the legs of a defender and the goalkeeper alike.

Three minutes later, Afif was back in the act again as he made a fine free-kick from a few yards outside the box to the right for Torres to make a successful header.

Just before the half-time, Al Ahli had little joy as Sekou managed to evade a marking Afif near the left post and get his right foot to the ball off a corner kick.

Al Sadd hit back soon on resumption as Afif dashed in and beat and advancing Al Ahli goalkeeper Marwan Sherif scoring with a diagonal kick into the left corner.

Minutes later, Al Ahli’s worries compounded as Al Ishaq deflected the ball into his own goal while marking Abdurisag going for a superb curving kick from Ahmed Suhail.

Bounedjah, introduced into the game in the 64th minute, did not waste much time before catching on to a long lob from Afif to run in and beat an advancing goalkeeper (5-1).

Another substitute Ilyas, who had replaced Boualem Khoukhi, then showed his mettle to gain an Abdurisag cross from the right to score with his left foot.

The remaining two goals completed Bounedjah’s hat-trick as he first moved in from the left brooking no challenge and later slid near the right post to guide in a Paulo Otavio assist from the opposite flank.