Doha, Qatar: Akram Afif stole the show with a hat-trick as Al Sadd turned on the heat on leaders Al Duhail and Al Rayyan with a commanding victory against Al Sailiya at their home turf on Saturday.
The win took Sadd's tally to 30 points, just three behind Duhail, who meet third-placed Rayyan (28 points) in the second match of the day.
A victory for Duhail will give them a six-point gap, but any other result will dramatically open up the title race.
Sadd's title fate is not in their hands, but they were all over Sailiya right from the start and Afif was on target in the second minute of the game.
Sailiya right back Adel Badr Al Ahmad injured himself stretching for a ball, leaving plenty of time and space for Baghdad Bounedjah, whose cross was helped into the path of Afif by the visiting goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar, who had an ordinary game.
Afif just needed to hit the target which he did emphatically with a rasping shot.
Sadd continued to dominate Sailiya as Ababacar saved from close range to deny Nam a few minutes later.
Then Bounedjah saw his shot blocked on the goalline by Mostafa Mohamed while the Algerian forward and Afif got in each other's way with the rebound.
Xavi Hernandez-coached Sadd were creating plenty of chances, but they failed to convert them and Sailiya almost gave them a scare at the stroke of half time when Karim Ansari rose above the defence to meet a Nadir Belhadj cross from the left, only to send his header wide of the target.
Afif settled Sadd's nerves, if they had any, right at the start of the second half when he cut into the box from the left and drew a late tackle from Mohamed Rajeb for a penalty.
As Afif was about to take the penalty, Ababacar strolled out of his line leaving the Sadd forward with the easy task of rolling the ball in tho the net which he did gleefully.
Though Sailiya players protested and wanted the penalty to be taken again, referee Salman Falahi stood by his decision.
Akram completed his hat-trick in the 54th minute when he combined with Bounedjah on the left and expertly finished off from an acute angle.
With the match well and truly won, Sadd took their foot off the pedal allowing Sailiya some space to operate but they were not just sharp enough on the evening to test Meshaal Barshim.
Source: dohastadiumplusqatar.com