El Jaish thrashed Mesaimeer at the Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil
By Sports Reporter/Doha
In a game where fortunes swung wildly, Al Sailiya scored from a 93rd minute penalty to deny Al Ahli a comeback victory. The match played at the Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium ended in a 2-2 draw but neither team will be happy with that result. Ahli came into this match on the back of two successive wins while Sailiya had the burden of consecutive defeats to deal with. Both teams exchanged possession at the start before Ahli started putting pressure on the Sailiya defence.
But it was Sailiya who took the surprise lead in the 34th minute. Omar Ibrahim delivered a long cross into the box where an unmarked Sayaf a-lKarby was able to head it into the far corner of the net. Just two minutes later, Faouzi Aaish had a chance to double the lead but his shot was saved by Ahli keeper Amer Dosari. The first half ended with Sailiya on top.
In the second half too Sailiya didn’t sit back and were looking to create chances rather than sit back and protect the lead. Aaish had two more chances but Ahli keeper Dosari was up for the challenge.
And then just when it looked like Sailiya would be able to hold onto their lead, Ahli striker Ndombe Mubele scored two goals in a span of two minutes (78th and 79th) to completely turn the match around. The first one came off a glaring defensive error and the second was a good piece of skill from the Congolese striker.
Sailiya who were on top till then suddenly found themselves chasing the game. But then there was a twist in the tale. Ahli conceded a penalty right towards the end of the game and Aaish stepped up and converted it to snatch a point for Sailiya.
Both teams will feel equally aggrieved at having to share points. Sailiya, despite Ahli’s formidable attacking prowess had more shots on goal. Ahli meanwhile should have wrapped up the win after that brace from Mubele. But both teams will have to go back with a point apiece.
Meanwhile, El Jaish took all three points on offer with an emphatic 5-2 win over Mesaimeer at the Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium. El Jaish scored four goals to all but end the game before the break. A brace for both Romarinho and Rashidov undid a promising start by the Torches who for the first ten minutes were going toe to toe with the home side.
In the 11th minute El Jaish broke the deadlock when a cross from the left was cleverly chested by Wagner to fellow Brazilian Romarinho who from close range was never going to miss. Four minutes later Sardor Rashidov opened his account with a spectacular strike.
Mesaimeer finally went down the other end and won a corner, from the resulting delivery Abdelrahman Samir was the only player who judged the flight of the ball correctly as he nodded in the Torches’ firs of the night (36)
However just a minute later the Uzbek Rashidov again unleashed his powerful left boot to get his second and Jaish’s third of the night. It was a well worked goal as the ball was perfectly laid off to him and he struck it first time to catch the keeper unawares.
