The defending champions eyed to compensate for their loss after losing to Al Ahli.
Football superstars Hassan Al Haydos and Akram Afif secured a 2-0 victory against Qatar SC in the QNB Stars League at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Saturday.
Desperately needing the points after previously losing to Al Ahil 2-1, the team played a formidable offence and defence that left Qatar SC with nine men on the pitch.
After Al Haydos struck a goal in 45+4 minutes, Qatar’s SC Omar Al Emadi was sent off the pitch after diving at Pedro Miguel.
The harsh foul only favoured the Al Sadd side, as minutes later, Afif fired into the far corner of the net, scoring the brace for his squad.
Frantic to climb back into the game, Qatar SC did everything they shouldn’t, as Badr Benoun was booked a red, framing the team at a disadvantage.
Al Sadd overwhelmed the rest of the half with offensive traps, fetching a possession of 73% with 21 shots with seven on target.
Ultimately the team reigned in the victory climbing back up in the Qatar Stars League leaderboard to third behind Al Arabi and Al Duhail.
With twenty-five points on the standings, the star-studded team is finally making way after months of controversy on and off the pitch.
Earlier this month, the Qatar Football Association (QFA) announced fines for Hassan Khaled Al-Haydos, Saad Al Sheeb, and Akram Afif.
The three Al Sadd players and national players were slapped with QAR 5,000 for not showing up at a television interview after the end of the game against Al Markhiya on January 29.
However, the most significant headline for the Al Sadd this year, which appears many have now forgotten, is the suspension of Abdelkarim Hassan.
The 2018 Asian Footballer of the Year is in the midst of a legal battle with the team for joining the ranks of a Kuwait club he was dropped by Al Sadd.
When questioned on Snapchat by a frustrated fan following Qatar’s exit from the tournament, the footballer said “Calm down. Do you think this is a war?” -triggering outrage online and his subsequent exit from the club.
Hassan’s attorney, Ali Abbas publicly announced plans by the left-back to file a complaint to FIFA against his former Qatari club.
