PUSH AND PULL:  Action from the match between Al Sadd and Al Kharatiyat at the Qatar Sports Club on Thursday

By Anil John/Doha

Ali Assad Qambar and Hamza al-Sanhajy found the target once in each half as Al Sadd notched up their second straight win in the Sheikh Jassim Cup on Thursday.

Following their 2-1 win over Muaither on Sunday, Al Sadd had to fight off a determined challenge from Al Kharatiyat for a 2-0 victory before flying off to Frankfurt where they take on Schalke 04 in a friendly today.

Spanish and Real Madrid legend Raul started for Al Sadd and played the entire first half during which he captained the side with gusto, marshalling his resources well and occasionally giving errant players an earful.

Raul and Nadir Belhadj were among the few regulars from the Al Sadd team who saw action, the Qatar club giants going with the trend of protecting their top players before the season kicks  in mid-September with the more prestigious Qatar Stars League (QSL).

Raul kept feeding passes but his teammates kept messing up. In the 15th minute Al Sadd number Al Mahdi Ali Sati headed a measured lob from Raul wide and the Spaniard himself found his powerful shot from close off a Belhadj pass saved by the Kharatiyat goalkeeper Mustafa al-Mohamed.

After surviving a few more close shaves, Al Kharatiyat were unlucky to go a goal down in the 38th minute. Al Sadd’s Qambar was brought down by Ahmed Othman and the resultant free-kick taken by Belhadj was saved by the goalkpeer. But in the mad scramble near the goalmouth that followed the rebound, Qambar managed to stab the ball in to put Al Sadd ahead.

Raul didn’t take the field in the second half, but Al Sadd were always in control although Al Kharatiyat occasionally threatened and kept the rival defence interested.

Al Sadd’s Nasser Khamis went close twice in the second session, but just when it appeared the defending QSL champs would have to do with just one goal, a Belhadj pass saw Hamza finding the net with a ferocious header in the 88thminute.

Al Kharatiyat tried desperately to score and were awarded an added time penalty, but Mohamed Hussain Zaid sent the ball wide.

Al Sadd have one more match remaining in Group D – against Al Khor on Thursday.

Meanwhile, in other matches, Muaither defeated Al Khor 1-0 and Al Wakrah defeated
Al Ahli 3-1. The semi-finals and final will be played in September after the group matches conclude on August 5.