Al-Abyad 'celebrates' with a 'quartet'

Al-Qadsiya secured a well-deserved 4-0 victory over Al-Shabab in their match played yesterday evening at Al-Shabab Club Stadium, in the sixth round of the Premier League. The win brought Al-Qadsiya’s (the Yellows) tally to 12 points, with one match postponed against Al-Sahel, while Al-Shabab remained on their previous total of 7 points.

The Yellows delivered a convincing performance, dominating the flow of the match throughout both halves. Moroccan striker Hamza Khaba scored a hat-trick. In the 17th minute, Khaba opened the scoring after a three-player combination with Rashid Al-Dosari and his compatriot Ayoub Al-Khatri, who played a low pass across the face of the goal that Khaba finished into the left side of the net. He doubled the lead in the 39th minute from a penalty kick, which he placed to the right of the goalkeeper after Brazilian defender Marcus Martinelli handled the ball. Khaba completed his hat-trick in the 57th minute with a header from an Ayoub Al-Khatri cross. Ayoub Al-Khatri added the fourth goal in the 71st minute with an individual effort, dribbling into the penalty area from the right and firing a powerful shot over the goalkeeper.

Al-Qadsiya settled for four goals despite having the advantage and numerous chances to score more, but they failed to convert several opportunities effectively. This inefficiency was particularly evident given that Al-Shabab played with ten men from the 39th minute after Martinelli was sent off with a red card.

What distinguished Al-Qadsiya was their imposition of a high-pressing style, driven by the dynamic movements of Ayoub Al-Khatri and Rashid Al-Dosari on the right flank, which was the most active area. Substitutions periodically shifted the play to the left through Nasser Al-Ruwaili and Muath Al-Zufairi, while Hamza Khaba made effective runs, dropping deep to create space and positioning himself in front of the goal, thereby posing a constant threat to the opposition’s defense. Jassim Al-Mutairi and Cedric also excelled in their midfield roles with noticeable harmony. The team’s performance remained unaffected by the substitutions made by coach Benazet, who brought on Talal Fadel, Badr Al-Mutawa, Eid Al-Rashidi, and Salem Al-Rais; Al-Qadsiya maintained their dominance despite missing chances.

Al-Shabab tried to resist as best as they could with their available resources, creating two chances in the first half. However, after Martinelli’s dismissal, they struggled with the numerical disadvantage, adopting a compact defensive block. Brazilian attackers Angelo and Toto attempted to carry the offensive burden alone, but their efforts were consistently thwarted by Al-Qadsiya’s defense.