The QNB Stars League (QSL) title race is heating up as Al Duhail secures a crucial victory over Umm Salal.

Al Duhail took a step closer to reclaiming the QNB Stars League (QSL) title with a 2-1 victory over Umm Salal at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on Saturday.

The team secured a crucial victory against Umm Salal, extending their lead to five points at the top of the QNB Stars League. 

Kenyan striker Michael Olunga was the hero of the match, scoring a penalty kick in the 45+3 minute to give his team the lead and a winning goal in the 64th minute. 

The victory was not without drama as Umm Salal captain Adil Rhaili levelled the score in the 45+6 minute, but a rash tackle by Rhaili against Ferjani Sassi resulted in a penalty kick in Al Duhail’s favour. 

Olunga calmly dispatched the penalty to secure the win for his team. Meanwhile, bottom side Al Sailiya earned a morale-boosting win, trouncing Al Ahli 4-0.

Rhaili, however, made amends by scoring a header from a close-range off a corner kick just before halftime to level the score. Olunga scored his second goal after Ababacar blocked Almoez Ali’s shot from a distance, and he converted the rebound in a counter-attack.

The victory over Umm Salal was crucial for Al Duhail, who now holds a five-point lead at the top of the QSL standings with only two rounds left in the top flight.

In their penultimate match on May 4, Al Duhail will face Al Sadd before their final league match against Al Shamal.

Al Wakrah vs Al Arabi

Meanwhile, Al Wakrah stunned Al Arabi at Grand Hamad Stadium, taking a 2-1 victory in their QSL match. In the 34th minute, Yusuf Abdurisag took advantage of a rebound off the post from Hazem Ahmed’s initial shot, tapping the ball into an open goal to give Al Wakrah the lead. 

Al Arabi equalised in the 82nd minute with a penalty kick from Omar Al Somah after Sainsbury Lucas was penalised for a handball in the box from a corner kick. 

However, Al Wakrah secured the win with a goal from Mohamed Khaled in the first minute of added time. The victory gave Al Wakrah a total of 33 points, moving them up to fourth place in the QSL standings and replacing Al Gharafa with a one-point lead over the Cheetahs.

Al Ahli suffered a heavy defeat against Al Sailiya, who dominated the game after Al Naimat’s red card. Sergio Vittor scored the opener for Al Sailiya in the 34th minute, and Carlos Strandberg added two more goals in the 61st and 86th minutes. 

Hassan Ahmed scored the final goal in injury time as Al Sailiya won 4-0. They are now three points behind Umm Salal.

In other news, Musaab Khidir of Al Sadd said they would be satisfied with finishing in second place. 

Al Sadd moved to 41 points and third place after beating Al Rayyan 2-0 in the Qatar Clasico. They are two points behind second-place Al Arabi. 

Al Sadd will face Al Arabi in the Amir Cup final on 12 May.