Lekhwiya’s Mohamed Razaq (5) is congratulated by Yousuf Msakni after he scored the second goal against Al Kharaitiyat yesterday. At bottom, Al Gharafa players celebrate their win over Al Ahli. Pictures: noushad Theakkyil
Sports Reporter/Doha
It seems some teams exist just to boost the goal difference of the others. Yesterday, in the Qatar Stars League, that appeared to be the case as defending champions Lekhwiya thrashed Al Kharaitiyat 7-0 to brutally expose the gulf between genuine contenders and hopeless pretenders.
Yousuf Msakni and Vladimir Weiss grabbed a brace each while Mohamed Razaq, Nam Tae-hee and Khalid Muftah also registered their names on the score sheet in a match that Lekhwiya won with ridiculous ease. Kharaitiyat, who finished ninth in the last tournament, suffered their second defeat in three matches this season.
It took Lekhwiya 16 minutes to find their first goal – Weiss shooting past Kharaitiyat goalkeeper Ahmed Sofiyan from close after reciving a long pass from captain Karim Boduaif.
Thereafter, the Lekhwiya attacks came in waves and Sofiyan found himself ill-equipped to cope with the situation. Razaq made it 2-0 in the 34th minute and after resumption Msakni’s stunning volley from the top of the box off a long pass from Weiss in the 48th minute saw Lekhwiya comfortably 3-0 ahead.
Nam then scored with a sliding shot in the 50th minute before Lekhwiya slammed three more to record their second win in as many games.
Earlier, in a tight affair at the Suhaim Bin Hamad stadium, Al Gharafa took on Al Ahli and won 2-0 despite being a man down for the last half hour of the match. Alain Dioko scored against his old club but then a second yellow card for Brazilian defender Anderson ensured a nervy end to the match.
However, Gharafa then got the all-important second goal in injury time to prevail in the end.
The first real chance of the game came on 13 minutes as Gharafa’s George Kwasi crossed from the left and Fahad al-Shammari’s header forced keeper Amer Abdulla al-Dosari to make a save.
Gharafa were slightly edging the possession and the next big chance came in the 40th minute when Gharafa keeper Qassim Burhan had to tip over a pacy free-kick by Mojtaba Jabari.
Its seemed as though the first half would end goalless but a quick counterattack down the left saw al-Shammari again involved as he supplied a pin point cross for Dioko who chested the ball into the net (44’). However the Congolese injured himself in the process and had to be substituted, Hussain Ali Shehab replaced him right on the stroke of half time.
In the second half Al Ahli again failed to test the keeper enough as Gharafa kept things tight at the back.
Then in the 60th minute a rash high footed challenge in the middle of the park by Gharafa defender Anderson saw him pick up his second yellow of the night. The replay showed that he made some contact and the Brazilian should have known better having already been booked.
The referee’s decision allowed Ahli to gain the lion’s share of the possession and just two minutes later Ahli defender Pedro had a firm shot saved from the edge of the box by the Gharafa keeper Burhan.
However for all the possession that the Brigadiers had, they failed to test the keeper enough, with new signing Mubele struggling to be clinical when his chances came.
Then in extra time new Gharafa forward Yasin Chikhaoui chased what looked like a lost cause down the left, but he sent an intelligent cutback for Al Shammari who struck the ball first time to secure all three points for the boys in yellow and blue.
In another match yesterday, Al Arabi thrashed Qatar Sports Club 4-0.
