Al Duhail put up a dominant show to hand Al Arabi first defeat of the QNB Stars League (QSL) season with a 3-0 drubbing at the Khalifa International Stadium, yesterday.
Earlier, 10-man Al Gharafa fought back scoring two late goals to hold 9-man Al Ahli to a 3-3 draw at the Al Thumama Stadium, with captain Yacine Brahimi firing the equaliser off a penalty kick in the stoppage time (90+1 minutes).
Going into the match at the back of four straight victories, Al Arabi never looked settled after Abdulla Essa Al Sulaiti headed an own goal while trying to block an aerial pass in the ninth minute.
Al Duhail doubled their lead in the 52nd minute when Nam Tae-hee headed the ball in after an assist from Sultan Hussain Al Brake.
Michael Olunga converted a 75th minute penalty to seal the victory after Al Arabi captain Abdulla Hassan’s handball following a corner kick.
The Red Knights jumped to third with 10 points while Al Arabi (12 points) had their lead over second-placed Al Wakrah cut to one point.
Meanwhile, Al Ahli were cruising towards victory with a 3-1 lead but Ishak Belfodil header in the 85th minute following Brahimi’s free kick changed the course of the match.
The Brigadiers then saw two of their players sent out within the next four minutes owing to red cards, besides conceding a penalty.
After Shojae Khalilzadeh was signalled out by the referee in the 87th minute, Mohammed Abdulla Al Ishaq had his 80th minute yellow converted to red for a foul against substitute Abdollah Ali Saei inside the box, also resulting in a penalty in Al Gharafa’s favour. Brahimi’s clinical hit on the left corner ensured Al Gharafa snatched a point from the jaws of defeat.
“The players showed strong character in a very difficult match. I am proud of my players and if we continue to play with the same spirit, we can achieve our goals,” said Al Gharafa coach Andrea Stramaccioni, who was also red-carded following flared tempers between players on the sideline in the 77th minute..
It was Saifeldeen Fadlalla, who put Al Gharafa ahead in the 24th minute after Al Ahli goalkeeper Yazan Naim Hussein failed to block a cross. A minute after Al Gharafa’s Islom Tuhtahujaev was handed the red card following VAR consultation over a foul against Yazan Abdallah, Al Ahli equalised through captain Ali Ahmad Ghaderi in the 37th minute.
Al Ahli then took the lead when Sofiane Hanni scored a sliding goal two minutes later, with Hossein Kanaani doubling the lead with a strike in a 63rd minute free kick.
“We deserved to win but in the end the result matters,” said Al Ahli coach Nebojsa Jovovic before refusing to comment on referee’s decisions on red cards against his players.
“I focus on my work and never make statements on decisions by the referees. We will now focus on our next match and try to learn from our mistakes,” he added.
Both the sides moved to eight points following a dramatic draw.
