Bounedjah celebrates after the 10-1 win yesterday.
Doha: If any QNB Stars League (QSL) team wants to stop Al Sadd in the tracks they will have to subdue striker Baghdad Bounedjah and half the job his done, but Al Arabi failed to that resulting in their annihilation.
Bounedjah fired seven goals, a new QSL record for most goals in a single match, to steer Al Sadd to a 10-1 demolition of Al Arabi in Doha derby, yesterday. Former Iraqi international Yunus Mahmud held the previous record of six goals in the 2004/2005 season.
It was Bounedjah all the way at Al Sadd’s home ground as the Algerian scored one goal in the first half and dismantled Al Arabi defense in the final session with six more goals to craft their second successive big win this season.
The 30-year-old also fired a hat-trick in Al Sadd’s first game of the season last week when they thrashed Al Kharaitiyat 6-0. The huge win took Al Sadd on top of points table over Al Duhail on goal difference.
Qatar U-23 star Akram Afif, who will skip Asian Games challenge to stay will Al Sadd for their AFC Champions League last-eight clash against Iran’s Esteghial FC, also scored a brace besides providing assists to Bounedjah’s goals.
Al Sadd opened Al Arabi’s floodgates through an own goal from Mustafa Mohammed Abdulla who scored in a 14th minute goal mouth melee.
Bounedjah first signalled his desire in the 22nd minute when he created a chance but failed to beat the last defender.
Afif scored his first goal in the 25th minute, firing a crafty kick from just inside the box off a corner taken by captain Xavi Hernandez. Mustafa compensated for his own goal and reduced lead for Al Arabi with a goal in the 34th minute.
However, Mustafa’s foul against Bounedjah eight minutes later just inside the box resulted in a penalty for the Algerian which changed the course of the match. Bounedjah comfortably pushed the ball to the goalkeeper’s right to score his opening goal of the match as Al Sadd led 3-1 at half time.
Bounedjah looked completely uncontrollable for Al Arabi defenders in the second half as he sealed his double hat-trick in quick time.
An Afif assist in the 47th minute helped him scored his second goal and just two minutes later he completed his first hat-trick of the match off a brilliant header to give Al Sadd a 5-1 lead.
There was no respite for Al Arabi as Bounedjah scored three more goals (62, 64 and 72) - all coming from assists from Afif - in quick time.
Afif scored his second goal in the 85th minute before Bounedjah scored his seventh goal in the 88th minute to complete a 10-1 rout of Al Arabi.
Earlier, in yesterday’s first match, also played at Al Sadd Stadium, newly promoted Al Shahania pulled off a 1-0 win over Al Kharaitiyat.
Argentinian striker Luciano Vazquez scored the all-important goal in the 27th minute.
Al Shahania, who had lost to holders Al Duhail in the first round, thus opened their account, while Al Kharaitiyat crashed to their second successive loss. They had lost to Al Sadd earlier.
Al Shahania were clearly the better side.
They created more chances compared to Al Kharaitiyat whose main bane was wayward shooting.
Nassif Al Bayawi’s wards were not a determined lot and that reflected on their performance.
