Al Rayyan held their nerve in a dramatic penalty shootout to defeat a resurgent Al Shamal 5-4 and book their place in the Qatar Cup final, where they will face Al Sadd. The thrilling semi-final at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium yesterday, finished 3-3 after extra time before Al Rayyan prevailed from the spot in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd.
The decisive moment in the shootout came when Al Shamal’s Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane sent his penalty over the crossbar. Al Rayyan goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada had earlier produced a crucial save to put his side in control. Al Shamal goalkeeper Babacar Seck also made a save during the shootout, but it was not enough to prevent Al Rayyan from securing their place in the final.
The contest had already produced a dramatic finish in regulation time. Al Rayyan appeared to have snatched victory when Julien De Sart scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time, putting his side ahead. However, Al Shamal responded almost immediately, with Baghdad Bounedjah finding the net in the seventh minute of added time. The goal was subsequently ruled out by VAR following a foul in the build-up, sending the match into the penalty shootout.
Roger Guedes scored a brace for Al Rayyan (24th minute & 74’ penalty) while Wesley Said (64th minute and 27th minute) and Romdhane (54th minute) had scored for Al Shamal. It was goals galore as both teams played attacking football while severely testing the two goalkeepers. Bounedjah’s strike added more drama and thrill for fans before the goal was struck down and penalties were called for.
In the shootout, Alex Collado, Nassim Mubarak, Musaab Khidir and Abdelkarim Fadalla scored for Al Shamal while Fahad Waad and Romdhane missed. For Al Rayyan, Julien Sart, Wesley Said, Hisham Ali, Guedes and Andre Amaro scored while Gregore De Magalhaes missed.
Al Sadd fight from being a goal down to beat Al Gharafa
At the Khalifa International Stadium, holders Al Sadd sailed into the Qatar Cup 2026 final with a spirited comeback to defeat Al Gharafa 2-1 in the first semi-final. Al Gharafa took the lead in the 14th minute when Frank Magri finished clinically after being picked out by a perfect pass from Yacine Brahimi.
The Wolves responded strongly, piling pressure and finding the equalizer in the 26th minute. Hashim Ali unleashed a stunning long-range strike after Al Gharafa had initially cleared a set-piece delivery. Al Sadd completed the turnaround two minutes before half-time as Akram Afif, who has been in superb form this season, produced a sublime assist for Mohamed Manai, who finished with an exquisite backheel flick.
Al Gharafa's task became tougher in the 87th minute when Rayyan Al Ali was sent off for pushing goal-bound Hasan Al Haydos. Al Sadd almost added a third goal late on, but Seydou Sano produced a crucial goal-line clearance to maintain Al Gharafa’s deficit. With both sides surviving dramatic semi-finals, the final promises another highly anticipated encounter for the Qatar Cup crown.
