Away Days: Al-Duhail's early lead falls apart against Al-Wahda

The first trip of the season began, as so many do, with a question of what might be at stake. Al-Duhail, a national name in Qatar, were at home to Al-Wahda of the United Arab Emirates in the Asian Champions League, and for the home support there was the hope that a strong start at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium might set a tone for the months ahead. I had come from the airport by bus, past the long low buildings and the wide roads, and walked the last stretch to the ground in the mild evening air.

I paid thirty riyals for a ticket on the east side, a fair price for a view across the pitch and out to the far stand. The crowd was thin, 3,310 by the official count, but those who came made themselves heard early. Al-Duhail scored in the first minute, a scrambled finish from close range that lifted the noise for a moment, and then Andoni Santos added a second after thirteen minutes, turning in a low cross. It looked, briefly, like a comfortable night.

Al-Wahda had other ideas. Moha pulled one back after twenty-six minutes, a low shot from the edge of the area, and five minutes later Bilel Jelassi levelled with a header. Then Moha struck again, a sharp finish from a tight angle, and by the thirty-fourth minute the visitors led 3–2. The home bench made changes after the hour, but the game settled into a pattern of Al-Wahda keeping the ball and Al-Duhail chasing, and the score did not move again.

Outside the ground afterwards, a man in a red-and-white scarf told me he had seen worse starts, but not many. "We scored so early, I thought we would enjoy the evening," he said. "Then we stopped running." His friend shrugged. "They had Moha. We did not."

I walked back towards the main road in the dark, past shuttered shops and a small café still serving karak. The result leaves Al-Duhail with work to do in the group, and my first away day of the season with a reminder that early goals do not always mean early points.