Qatar SC defeated Al Shamal 1-0 in Week 3 of the 2024-2025 season Ooredoo Stars League at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium on Thursday.

The only goal of the match was scored by new signing Ahmed Abdel Kader, who joined the team on loan for one season from Egypt’s Al Ahly, in the 46th minute to give his side their first three points of the season, while Al Shamal also remained on three points, having now lost their last two matches after their league opening day win.

Both teams appeared to be evenly matched for most parts of the first half as they both went in search of an early goal to give them much needed relief in their attempt to collect the maximum points from the match following the loss by both sides in the previous round of the league.

Al Shamal’s Baghdad Bounedjah, who was topping the scorers’ table having scored four goals in two matches ahead of the encounter, was unsurprisingly his team’s tormentor-in-chief as they barraged Qatar SC defence in search of a goal, while Congolese Ben Malango was returning the compliment from the opposing side.

A quickly-taken free-kick in the 33rd minute gave unmarked Qatar SC’s Mohamed Taabouni a shooting opportunity from 25 yards, but his shot disappointingly went way off the mark.

Bounedjah had a great opportunity at goal just before half-time, but his well-placed shot from inside the 18-yard-box was perfectly saved by Qatar SC goalkeeper Motasem Al Bustami.

After a goalless stalemate in the first half, Qatar SC finally broke the deadlock a minute into the last 45 minutes, with Abdel Kader hitting the bottom right-hand corner of goalkeeper Babacar Seck’s goal following a brilliant and well-timed pass by Taabouni.

Gingered by their lead, Qatar SC went in search of more goals with persistent pressure on Al Shamal’s defence. Malango could have increased his season’s goal tally to two in the 62nd minute if his shot, from the right hand corner of Al Shamal’s goal, had not gone inches off target.

Malango missed the opportunity to extend his side’s lead from the spot in the 73rd minute, following a foul by Al Shamal’s Mohammed Al Naimi, as his power-packed shot went disappointingly awry.

Bounedjah had his set-piece, from an advantage position, in the 87th minute, which was spectacularly saved by goalkeeper Al Bustami.

Al Shamal had a penalty appeal denied in the seventh minute of added time following a melee in Qatar SC’s final third, much to the dismay of their bench and fans.

Despite Al Shamal’s rally in the closing minutes of added time, Qatar SC stood by their lone-goal lead as they ran away with the maximum points at the end of the day.