Al Rayyan win penalty shootout to reach Amir Cup semi-finals

Doha, Qatar: Four-time champions Al Rayyan edged out Al Gharafa 29-28 in penalty shootout to reach the semi-finals of Amir Cup handball tournament at Duhail Handball Sports Hall yesterday. Also yesterday, Al Ahli, Al Wakrah and Al Arabi claimed victories in their respective quarter-finals to complete the semi-final line-up.

After taking a 13-10 lead in the first half, Al Rayyan faced stiff competition from Al Gharafa in the second half with the Cheetahs leveling the score 22-22 through Abdulrazag Ahmed in final minute to take the match into extra time.        

The stalemate persisted as the team remained tied 25-25 at the end of extra time. 

Al Rayyan goalkeeper Khalifa Ghadban blocked Zarco’s Marco first attempt in penalty shootout before Al Gharafa’s Abdulla Alkarbi hit the right post, as Al Rayyan converted all their first four attempts with Mohamed Shokri scoring the winner. 

“We played an excellent game. We were able to control the game especially during the second half where we increased the difference to six goals, but then we started to lose the ball which made Al Garaffa gain back on us, which is normal since Al Rayyan vs Garaffa games are known for their competitiveness,” Al Rayyan’s Mohamed Walid said after the win yesterday. 

“We wasted chances and made a lot of mistakes in attack, and gave away turnovers, but we were able to recuperate and concentrate on the win,” said Walid when asked about Al Gharafa’s comeback.  

Al Rayyan will meet Al Wakrah in the second semi-final at 6:45pm tomorrow. 

An Al Arabi player shoots to score during the quarter-final against Al Duhail. 

Al Wakrah, who clinched the Qatar Cup title earlier this week, produced a dominant performance to outclass Al Khor 31-17 in the other quarter-final. They were in the driving seat right from the beginning and were leading 16-6 at half-time.           

Tomorrow, the first semi-final will be played at 4:30pm between five-time champions Al Ahli and Al Arabi after they won their respective quarter-finals yesterday. 

Al Ahli made a brilliant turnaround against eight-time winners Al Sadd after trailing 15-18 in the first half, registering a 31-30 victory in extra time. The match was tied 27-27 in regulation time.   

Later, Al Arabi were also impressive yesterday as they knocked out defending champions Al Duhail with a 32-30 victory. They overcame a strong fighback from Al Duhail in the second half after taking a strong 18-11 lead in the first half. 

The final of the tournament will be played on Saturday.   

Amir Cup quarters 

Al Rayyan bt Al Gharafa 29-28 (pen)
Al Wakrah bt
Al Khor 31-17 
Al Arabi bt 
Al Duhail 32-30 
Al Ahli bt 
Al Sadd 31-30 (extra time)