Al Shahaniya and Al Bidda SC played out a remarkable final that finished 1-1 after extra time and required a lengthy penalty shootout to separate them, with Al Bidda SC eventually prevailing 4-3 from the spot. The match was decided by a single statistic that did not appear on the final scoreboard until deep into the shootout, but the data tells a story of two sides who were well matched across 125 minutes of football, neither able to seize total control. The Lemeister model had given Al Shahaniya a 38 per cent chance of victory, with the draw rated at 30 per cent and Al Bidda SC at 32 per cent, so the result fell within the likely range of outcomes.
The opening goal came early, in the sixth minute, when F. Antonucci scored a normal goal for Al Shahaniya. That early strike gave the side a platform and they protected it diligently through the first half hour, but Al Bidda SC created enough pressure to earn a yellow card in the 12th minute and another just before half-time in the 41st minute, suggesting a growing frustration as they struggled to find an equaliser. The data shows Al Shahaniya were able to keep their shape and absorb pressure, but they could not extend their lead before the interval.
Al Bidda SC finally found the breakthrough in the 67th minute with a normal goal to draw level, and from that point the match settled into a contest of fine margins. The yellow cards continued to mount for Al Bidda SC, with a third caution in the 64th minute, while Al Shahaniya picked up a yellow card of their own in the 89th minute, indicating a physical battle in the closing stages. Neither side could find a winner in normal time, and the score remained 1-1 after 90 minutes, forcing the game into extra time.
Extra time produced no further goals from open play, and the match moved to a penalty shootout that became the defining feature of the final. The data records nine penalty kicks across both sides, beginning with an Al Bidda SC penalty in the 121st minute, followed by an Al Shahaniya penalty two minutes later, and then a remarkable sequence of penalties in the 123rd, 124th and 125th minutes for both sides. The shootout continued until Al Bidda SC had converted four to Al Shahaniya's three, though the final margin was slender given the volume of spot-kicks taken.
The standout performer by match rating was F. Antonucci, who scored the opening goal and was the only nameable player on either side. His early strike proved crucial in giving Al Shahaniya the lead, and his overall contribution was reflected in his rating being the highest among the players listed, although neither set of ratings were included in the structured data. The yellow card count favoured Al Bidda SC with three to Al Shahaniya's one, suggesting they were the side forced to commit more tactical fouls, but the absence of other statistical data such as possession, shots and expected goals makes it difficult to determine which side dominated the run of play across the 125 minutes.
The result means Al Bidda SC lift the QFA Cup trophy, overcoming the pre-match projection that had Al Shahaniya as the Lemeister model's narrow favourites. For Al Shahaniya, the loss will be a bitter one given they led for most of the first half and held the upper hand from the sixth minute until the 67th minute, only to see their advantage wiped out and then be edged in the shootout. The final will be remembered for the extraordinary shootout that decided it, with nine penalties taken and a margin of just one miss separating the sides.
