Sadd rally to defeat Kharaitiyat, set up quarter-final with Gharafa

Defending champions Al Sadd rallied from an early deficit to claim a convincing 3-1 victory over second-division side Al Kharaitiyat in the Round of 16 clash of the Amir Cup at Al Thumama Stadium yesterday. The win secures Sadd a place in the quarter-finals, where they will face Al Gharafa, who advanced after eliminating Al Khor.

Kharaitiyat stunned the reigning champions early when Sulaiman An opened the scoring in the 13th minute. However, Sadd responded through Giovanni Henrique, who netted the equaliser in the 23rd minute to restore parity before the break.

In the second half, Sadd took control. Spanish forward Rafael Mujica gave them the lead in the 54th minute, and just two minutes later, Giovanni bagged his second of the night to put the result beyond doubt. Akram Afif delivered a standout performance, providing two key assists and tormenting the Al Kharaitiyat defence throughout.

Sadd defender Ahmed Suhail said they were below par in the first half. “Thankfully we qualified, even though our performance in the first half wasn’t up to standard,” Suhail said post-match. “We faced a strong opponent in Al Kharaitiyat — they were by no means an easy team.”

Suhail added that Al Sadd improved notably after the break: “In the second half, we corrected our mistakes and the players responded well. We pushed forward more aggressively and managed to score. Again, credit to Al Kharaitiyat — they gave us a tough match and I wish them all the best.”
Al Gharafa edge Al Khor

Earlier, Al Gharafa sealed their place in the quarters with a 2-1 win over Al Khor at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. The Cheetahs took the lead through Spanish striker Joselu in the 20th minute after a precise cross from Rodrigo Mourinho found him inside the box. Joselu made no mistake, slotting the ball into the net to give Al-Gharafa a deserved advantage following early pressure.

Despite dominating possession and creating several chances, Gharafa were unable to extend their lead before halftime. Al Khor nearly equalised in the 35th minute when Sofiane Hanni’s curling effort went narrowly wide.

Al Khor continued their pursuit of an equaliser after the break, with Ricardo Gomez firing just wide in the 52nd minute. But it was Gharafa who struck again. In the 63rd minute, Yacine Brahimi delivered a pinpoint cross into the area, which Ahmed al-Janahi finished clinically to double the lead.

Al Khor responded with a wave of attacks and managed to pull one back in the 75th minute. Abdulaziz Hazaa fired a powerful strike from the edge of the area that beat goalkeeper Claude Amin, making it 2-1 and setting up a tense final 15 minutes. Gharafa, however, held firm to secure the victory and will now face Al Sadd in the quarters.

Following the match, Iceland midfielder Aron Gunnarsson was pleased with the result, saying: “The match wasn’t as easy as we expected. Al Khor kept pushing until the end. We gave everything to win and advance, and we’re determined to fight for the title and make our fans proud.”