Gharafa revive hopes; Lekhwiya suffer 3-0 loss

Sports Reporter/Doha

Al Gharafa players Othman el-Essas (C) and Fahed al-Shammari (R) celebrate after scoring against UAE’s Al Shabab Al Arabi during their AFC Champions League match in Doha yesterday

Al Gharafa revived their Asian Champions League hopes with a 2-1 victory over the UAE’s Shabab Al Arabi in Doha yesterday, while Qatar Stars League champions Lekhwiya suffered a big blow to their continental dreams when they were thrashed 3-0 by Al Ahli in Jeddah.Al Gharafa’s first win in five matches took their tally to six points in Group D where Saudi giants Al Hilal are sitting pretty with nine after beating top Iranian side Piroozi 1-0 at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran. Piroozi are second in the group with eight points, while Al Shabab Al Arabi are fourth with just two from five matches.Al Gharafa now need to beat Hilal when they clash in a potentially explosive match on May 15 at King Fahd International Stadium in Saudi Arabia and hope Piroozi also suffer an unlikely defeat at the hands of Shabab Al Arabi in order to make the knockout stage.In a match that sparked to life after a dull first half, it was Shabab Al Arabi who took the lead through Essa Mohamed in the 64th minute.But Al Gharafa, under new coach Paulo Silas after the sacking of Bruno Metsu in March, struck back to equalise in the 81st minute through the prolific Amara Diane.Othman el-Essas then found the net from the spot three minutes later to give Al Gharafa their maiden win in the tournament after three draws and one loss.“We always knew we had a chance,” especially when we are playing at home,” Silas said.Abdulrahim Jezawi, Victor Simoes and Tayseer al-Jassim scored for Al Ahli as Lekhwiya suffered their third defeat in the tournament.

Al-Ahli’s Saudi midfielder Motaz al-Mussa (C) is challenged by Lekhwiya players during their AFC Champions League group C football match in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah yesterday. Al Ahli won 3-0

Meanwhile, Ex-Middlesbrough striker Lee Dong-Gook scored twice in injury time to put 10-man Jeonbuk Hyundai Metors on the brink of the AFC Champions League knock-outs in a dramatic night of action yesterday. Lee’s late heroics stunned Chinese champions Guangzhou Evergrande 3-1, while Kashiwa Reysol’s 1-0 win over Buriram United gave all four Group H teams a chance of reaching the last 16 in their final pool games later this month. Elsewhere Central Coast Mariners clobbered China’s Tianjin Teda 5-1 to resurrect their campaign, while Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and Nagoya Grampus played out a 1-1 draw to leave Group G also undecided. Jeonbuk’s win in Guangzhou was sweet revenge for last year’s runners-up, who were humiliated 5-1 at home by the Chinese team and lost by the same score to Kashiwa, but who are now top of Group H after three wins in a row. Guangzhou’s record signing Dario Conca, reportedly one of the world’s best paid players, put the hosts ahead with an early penalty before Lee Seung-Hyun levelled just before half-time. And 2006 champions Jeonbuk, fresh from clinching the K-League title, then shrugged off the dismissal of defender Cho Sung-Hwan, as Lee Dong-Gook netted in injury-time and swiftly followed it up with a penalty. There were more fireworks in the group as J-League champions Kashiwa Reysol downed Thailand’s Buriram United 1-0, leaving all four clubs separated by just three points with one round to play. Kashiwa’s goal came after 23 minutes when Hideaki Kitajima dribbled through to the left of the goalmouth before sending in a cross that Brazilian midfielder Leandro Domingues netted in the right corner. The hopes of Buriram, who had surprisingly topped the group for much of the campaign, took a dive when defender Yves Ekwalla Herman of Cameroon was sent off shortly before half-time for a second yellow card. Jeonbuk, now two points clear on nine points, host Kashiwa and Buriram, who have dropped to the bottom of the table, entertain Guangzhou in the crunch final group games on May 15.