Asian players shine in Round 2

The second round of QSL action saw plenty of late drama and sumptuous play from four midfield maestro’s who lead the way for their teams. Sardor Rashidov, Hassan al-Haydoos and the South Korean duo of Nam Tae Hee and Kooky Han stood out, scoring six goals between them.
South Korean midfielder Nam Tae Hee arguably put in the performance of the weekend, scoring a hat-trick including a stunning injury time free kick to give Lekhwiya all three points against Al Gharafa.  The diminutive midfielder ran the show against the Cheetahs and was central to Lekhwiya’s attacking intent during the tie.
Djamel Belmadi will be hoping for more of the same from Nam as the Red Knights look to regain the QSL falcon shield that lost to Al Rayyan last season.
Winger Sardor Rashidov had a hand in two goals as El Jaish left it late to beat Al Arabi 4-3. Jaish’s number ten was a constant threat on the left hand side in the first half. The Uzbekistan international delivered a pinpoint pass to Majid Mohammed to open the scoring on the 20th minute.
Whilst in the second half it was Rashidov’s shot from distance, which cannoned off Ahmed Fatehi to give his side a vital equalizer at 3-3.  Without the attacking threat of the winger, Jaish could have dropped their first points of the season.
Al Sadd attacker Hassan Haydoos delivered a typically assured performance as the Wolves ran out 2-1 winners against Al Ahli. The Qatar international captain opened the scoring from the penalty spot, and turned provider for team mate Bagdad Bounjah for the winning goal in the second half.
It was another strong performance from the attacker, who will be hoping his early season form can aid the Qatar national team in their quest to reach Russia 2018.
Korean midfielder Kooky Han was identified as a difference maker for Al Gharafa by team mate Vladimir Weiss in the build up to the Cheetahs Saturday evening clash against Lekhwiya. The South Korean midfielder didn’t disappoint, delivering a masterful performance in the center of the park. The former Qatar SC man scored a screamer from outside the box to level the score at 4-4 for his side.
Unfortunately compatriot Nam Tae Hee settled the tie in injury time with a stunning free-kick. Despite the defeat, Gharafa boss Pedro Caixinia will be pleased with the effort from his summer signing and will know that with more assured performances from Han will result in points for Al Gharafa.