Al-Qadsia defeats Salisbury 'friendly'

Al-Qadsiah defeated their English guests, Salzburg, 3-2, in a friendly match played the evening before yesterday at the Mohammed Al-Hamad Stadium, as part of the Yellow team’s preparations during the current international break. Al-Qadsiah took the field under the guidance of their national coach, Mohammed Ibrahim, amid the absence of several international players who participated with the national team at “Gulf Cup 27.” The coaching staff aimed to assess the readiness of the remaining squad members and provide playing time for a number of players. Ibrahim started the match with a lineup featuring goalkeeper Hamid Al-Qallaf, Khalid Ibrahim, Cedric Gbeho, Salem Al-Rais, Ahmed Boudi, Talal Al-Fadhil, Abdulaziz Wadi, Abdullah Al-Ghanim, Badr Al-Mutawa, Ayoub Al-Khader, and Khalid Al-Kharqaawi. The Yellow side imposed their dominance during the first half, with captain Badr Al-Mutawa opening the scoring with a brilliant strike that found the top corner of the English team’s net. Abdullah Al-Ghanim then doubled the lead with a well-placed shot from the edge of the penalty area, capitalizing on an assist from Khalid Al-Kharqaawi, ending the half with Al-Qadsiah leading 2-0. Al-Qadsiah continued their dominance at the start of the second half, as Al-Kharqaawi added a third goal following a clever pass from Moroccan player Ayoub Al-Khader. After Mohammed Ibrahim made a series of substitutions to give more players an opportunity, Salzburg exploited Al-Qadsiah’s defensive drop-back and managed to score two consecutive goals, narrowing the gap and intensifying the final minutes, before the Yellow side held on to secure their lead until the final whistle.