Nothing in the Qatar Stars League looked quite like this. The final whistle between Al-Shamal and Al-Wakrah did not end the drama, it sparked it, with Algerian striker Baghdad Bounedjah at the centre of the strangest and most controversial red card of the season.
The match finished 1-1 on Thursday evening in the opening fixture of the fourth round. Referee Mohammed Al-Shammari's whistle did not close proceedings. It opened them.
It all kicked off in the eighth minute of stoppage time. Bounedjah, the Al-Shamal captain and one of the most experienced players in the history of the Qatari league, protested a decision by Al-Shammari and picked up a yellow card just before play resumed.
Seconds later, Al-Shammari blew for full time and confirmed the draw. Bounedjah then approached the referee again to demand an explanation for some of his calls, but Al-Shammari told him to leave the pitch as the match was over.
The striker obliged and set off towards the changing rooms. On his way he aimed "shocking" gestures at the referee.
Al-Shammari spotted it. He chased after the Algerian and brandished a straight red card, leaving the Al-Shamal players stunned.
Furious, Bounedjah threw the captain's armband to the ground in protest. Al-Shamal officials rushed in to calm him down, but he stayed enraged and shoved one of his own club's staff.
The red card rules Bounedjah out of his side's decisive top-of-the-table clash against leaders Al-Duhail. Special reports suggest the punishment may not stop at a single-match ban, with a harsher penalty expected based on the gestures and unsporting conduct the referee records in his match report.
A draw that tastes like defeat for Al-Shamal
As for the game itself, defender Pablo Mari opened the scoring for Al-Shamal in the 26th minute. Tunisian Aissa Laidouni levelled for Al-Wakrah before the break.
That result cost Al-Shamal a precious chance to go top. They had to settle for a single point, which took them to 8 points and second place behind leaders Al-Sadd.
Al-Wakrah, meanwhile, are still chasing their first win of the season. A second draw alongside two defeats leaves them on just two points.
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