Ayman rues red cards as Al-Duhail fall to Umm Salal

DOHA: Al-Duhail defender Youssef Ayman said his side paid the price for numerical disadvantage after finishing their Doha Bank Stars League match against Umm Salal with fewer players, a factor he believes heavily influenced both the performance and the result.

Speaking after the fifteenth-round clash, Ayman said Al-Duhail had entered the match determined to secure all three points but saw their plans unravel following two dismissals.“We went into the match aiming to win and collect the three points, but we faced very difficult circumstances after two of our players were sent off, which clearly affected the course of the game,” Ayman said.

Despite being reduced to nine men, Al-Duhail managed to fight back after the break and level the score, only to concede again from a set piece.“Even with nine players, we tried in the second half and succeeded in equalising, but we then lost from a set piece,” he added.

“That’s football — there are wins and losses.”Ayman said the team must now respond quickly as the league campaign continues.“We will do our best in the upcoming matches to get back on track,” he said. “We have to double our efforts to achieve that.”