QSL
Umm Salal twice came from behind as they defeated Al Shahania 4-2 in Week 5 of the 2024-2025 season Ooredoo Stars League at the Al Janoub Stadium on Saturday.
The Orange Fortress got their goals through Antonio Mance (38th and 66th minutes), Victor Lekhal (58th minute) and Oussama Tannane (75th minute), while Alhassan Koroma (18th minute) and Pelle van Amersfoort (45+4 minute, penalty) scored for Al Shahania.
With the result, Umm Salal now have nine points, while bottom-placed Al Shahania remained on two points.
After knocking on Umm Salal’s door on several occasions and with some close calls at getting the opening goal, Al Shahania eventually got their heart desire in the 18th minute, with Koroma finding the back of the net with a low but powerful strike from 20 yards off a great pass from Francesco Antonucci.
Umm Salal got parity restored in the 38th minute, with Mance finding his non-threatening right-footed low shot from an Omar Yahya assist somehow crossing the line with goalkeeper Shehab Ellethy, on loan from Al Duhail, guilty of mishandling the strike. The goal was initially contested, but after a lengthy VAR check, it eventually stood.
Just when everyone thought the scoreline would stay the same way going into the break, Al Shahania got back their lead from the spot through Van Amersfoort in four minutes of added time after Antonucci was booked for an infringement on Koroma.
The second half brought out the best from Umm Salal as they were determined not to end the match on a losing note and, by the 58th minute, they got their equaliser again through captain Lekhal, who finished off some sublime dribbles by Kenji Gorre in a perfect way, sending the ball perfectly to the left-hand side of goalkeeper Ellethy, who could only watch the ball sail into his net.
Nine minutes later, The Orange Fortress took the lead for the first time on the night through Mance, whose powerful thunderbolt of a strike from 25 yards caught goalkeeper Ellethy flat-footed as he watched the ball locate his top left-hand corner of the net.
Al Shahania were further stunned in the 75th minute, with Tannane also getting his name on the scorers’ sheet to give Umm Salal a comfortable two-goal lead.
The fourth goal was the final straw that broke Al Shahania’s back as they seemed deflated from thereon and they played more to prevent further goals rather than score any of their own till the blast of final whistle.