Umm Salal survived a late rally by Muaither to win 4-3 in Round 4 (Group A) of the 2023-2024 season Ooredoo Cup at the Saoud bin Abdulrahman Stadium of Al Wakrah club on Saturday, November 11, 2023.

Andy Delort hit a brace in the 13th and 28th minutes, while Meshaal Al Shammari (35th minute) and Kenji Gorre (50th minute) added one each for The Orange Fortress.

Muaither’s goals were scored by Denis Alibec (53rd and 86th minutes) and Jamal Mohammed (88th minute).

With the result, Umm Salal maintained their lead in Group A with 10 points, while Muaither, who showed remarkable improvement, especially in the second half of the match, are still without any point.

The match started with Umm Salal pressing forward in droves while holding the midfield firmly, while Muaither were pushed back and forced to be on the defensive for most of the time.

Delort opened the scoring after being at the right place at the right time to collect a loose ball parried by Muaither’s goalkeeper Moaied Shanan. The Algerian international wasted no time in tapping in for the first goal of the match.

The Umm Salal forward was also on target 15 minutes later as he got his brace of the night with a sensational bicycle kick following a cross from Gorre into the box off a corner kick.

With the second goal in the bag, Umm Salal continued to attack relentlessly, while Muaither, desperate for an equalizer, appeared to open their defence up while going forward.

It was therefore not surprising when Umm Salal added the third goal through Al Shammari, following an assist from Delort in the 35th minute.

The match seemed more evenly balanced in the second half, with Muaither desperate in search of at least a goal and playing with more purpose and composure.

Despite Muaither’s effort, Gorre registered his name on the scorers’ sheet in the 50th minute following a defensive error from Muaither.

Muaither hit back with their first goal three minutes after that and began to pile pressure on Umm Salal from thereon, which eventually resulted in two more goals. But that was too little, too late.