Qatar SC overcame Al Duhail 1-0 in the Ooredoo Cup fourth round match at the Al Wakrah Stadium yesterday. The match was settled via a solitary strike from Kayke Rodrigues in the 51st minute.
Qatar SC raised their points to 10, the same as Al Khor who beat Al Sailiya 2-1 in another match, but are second in the group on goal difference (+8 as against Al Khor’s +10).
Coming into the match, Qatar SC were perceived as the favourites, thanks to their superior form in the Ooredoo Cup this season. However, they did not have it easy against a resilient Al Duhail side. The first half was evenly contested and neither side did enough to find that crucial early breakthrough.
A good half-time team talk from coach Wesam Rizik was sufficient for Qatar SC to immediately get on top in the second half. Brazilian forward Kayke was on hand to grab what turned out to be the match-winning goal within minutes of the restart. His determination for the goal, and throughout the contest, was a key sign of why The Kings are doing so well in the tournament this season. A spirited comeback was not enough for Al Duhail as they continued to probe and ask questions of the Qatar SC defence, but to no avail.
Meanwhile, Al Khor defeated Al Sailiya 2-1 at the Al Shamal Stadium yesterday. Abdulla Nasser al-Moraisi (fifth minute) and Said Brahimi (sixth minute) scored for Al Khor. Captain Majdi Siddiq was Al Sailiya’s scorer (63rd minute).
Al Khor have 10 points, from three wins and a draw to have an unbeaten record. They started their campaign with a 1-1 draw with Al Arabi, but then defeated Al Duhail by a whopping 7-0 margin and Al Gharafa 3-1. Al Sailiya, who drew 2-2 with Al Duhail in the third round, lost 0-4 to Qatar SC and 1-2 to Al Arabi earlier. They stood on one point.
Al Khor were two goals up in no time as a result of a flurry of attacks initially. Abdulla and Brahimi struck when Sailiya had not even settled into their stride. The first goal was a bolt from the blue and the second goal made matters worse for Al Sailiya, who slowly came back into the game.
Not long after, Sailiya’s Bilal Saidani had a good chance, but he sent his shot wide. The first-half injury time saw Al Khor captain and goalkeeper Baba Djibril parry Majdi Siddiq’s curling free-kick.
Sailiya made three substitutions soon after the second half started, with Abdulrahman Mohammed, Abdulqadir Ilyas and Hadi Ali coming off the bench. Al Sailiya’s efforts bore fruit past the hour mark, with the captain finding the target. But that was all they could do as they had a goal ruled out for offside in the 84th minute. Al Sailiya attacked more in the second half. However, they failed to find an equaliser.
In another match, Al Gharafa and Al Arabi played out a 1-1 draw. Reigning champions Al Gharafa now have two points and Al Arabi six. Hamdi Harbaoui took Arabi ahead in the 35th minute, but Sofiane Hanni put Gharafa on level terms in the 41st minute. The Cheetahs have only one draw (2-2 against Al Duhail whom they defeated in the final of last edition) to their credit and lost two matches (0-3 to Qatar SC and 1-3 to Al Khor).
Action from the Ooredoo Cup match between Qatar SC and Al Duhail at the Al Wakrah Stadium yesterday. PICTURE: Ram Chand
