Al Gharafa in semis of QSL Cup, Duhail bow out

Al Gharafa qualified for the semi-finals of the QSL Cup following a 1-1 draw with Al Kharaitiyat, while Al Duhail crashed out of contention despite beating Al Sailiya 2-1 in fourth round action yesterday.
Al Gharafa have 10 points but Al Duhail have only four points from four matches in Group A, having lost two, won one and drawn one . Al Kharaitiyat, who are on eight, and Qatar SC (five) still have a chance to progress ahead of Round 5.
The Al Kharaitiyat-Al Gharafa match got off to an intense start at the Al Ahli Stadium but it was the former who were rewarded on 11 minutes, with Abdulla Al Anzi giving them the advantage.
It did not take the home side too long to equalise as Luis Jimenez found a way through the defence in the 29th. From then on, it was an evenly-contested game and neither side was able to make further breakthrough.
Meanwhile, Al Duhail emerged  victorious at the Al Wakrah Stadium, but both teams could not make the cut.
Al Duhail fielded a much more experienced side, but it was Al Sailiya who broke the deadlock in the 40th through Mirghani Al Zain.
Al Duhail were able to respond quickly as Youssef Al Arabi fired home from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time.
In the second half, Al Duhail’s experience started to show as they dominated possession and controlled the game. Deep into injury time, they were able to snatch full points, thanks to Saleh Said’s effort while under pressure.
Another draw was played out at the Al Shamal Stadium, leaving Qatar SC on five points and Al Khor on four, with the latter now unable to progress to the last-four stage.
The match started slowly. However, the pace did pick up in the final 15 minutes as both teams started to sense opportunities, with a couple of chances being created at either end.
Qatar SC brought on striker Michael Babatunde in the second half in an attempt to get the winner. But in spite of their superior possession, they were unable to break down the Al Khor defence and the stalemate continued.