Rabh Boussafi struck a brace as Al Duhail secured a 2-1 win over Al Arabi, while reigning champions Al Sadd fought back from a goal down to beat Qatar SC 3-1 in QNB Stars League on Thursday.
At the Khalifa International Stadium, Duhail winger Boussafi opened the scoring in the 53rd minute before the 21-year-old doubled the lead in the 66th minute. Boussafi, who is a product of Al Duhail’s youth system, was impressive as he repaid the faith shown in him by the club.
Al Arabi got their consolation goal through Abdulqadir Illyas Bakur in fifth minute of stoppage time but that was not enough to stop Duhail from winning the second successive match.
Meanwhile, Al Sadd were on the back foot after Sebastian Soria put Qatar SC ahead with a strike in the 39th minute. But Al Sadd fought back with goals from Andre Ayew (63rd minute), Guilherme Torres (78th minute) and Baghdad Bounedjah (83rd minute).
Sadd started brightly. In the sixth minute, Akram Afif found defender Mohamed Waad with a low flick inside the Qatar SC box, but the latter took the shot quickly, smashing the ball outside the net from close range.
Four minutes later, Afif sneaked into the Qatar SC box, but his shot from close range was blocked by keeper Jassim al-Hail. Al Sadd once again came close to scoring through Ayew who fired a shot at goal, but the ball was blocked by keeper al-Hail again in the 21st minute.
Ten minutes on, Soria fired a shot from the edge of the box, but his shot was blocked by Salman Tareq. Soon afterwards, Soria picked out Isaac Mbenza with a low cross inside the Al Sadd box, but the Belgian forward missed the target from close range.
Shortly afterwards, Soria made it 1-0 for Qatar SC following a solo run. After receiving a long cross from the left flank by Mbenza, Soria charged towards the Al Sadd goal with Jung Woo-Young giving him hot chase.
As Soria neared the goalmouth, Al Sadd keeper Meshaal Barsham stepped out to block the move, but the former lobbed the ball over his head to give his side the lead in the 39th minute.
Soon after the resumption of play, Al Sadd’s stand-in skipper Ali Asad charged into the box. However, his shot from close range was blocked by keeper al-Hail.
Moments later, Ayew’s snap-header from the centre of the box was a little wayward, but Al Sadd clearly showed momentum early in the second half. A snap-header from two metres by Bounedjah also missed the target in the 57th minute.
Six minutes later, Al Sadd produced a spectacular equaliser through Ayew, who beat two markers in front of him on the edge of the box to find the net. He unleashed a powerful left-footed drive that hit the net, with a dive from keeper al-Hail going in vain.
Al Sadd grabbed the lead in a similar fashion when an unmarked Torres – after a short cross from Afif – positioned himself on the edge of the box and then produced a powerful shot that sailed past to the left of the goalkeeper. Bounedjah added the third with a snap-header from close range in the following a lob from substitute Hassan al-Haydus.
In the day’s last match, Al Sailiya twice came from behind to beat Al Shamal 3-2 at the Al Gharafa Stadium. Valentin Adama (22nd minute), Driss Fettouhi (70th minute) and substitute Mohamed Mudather (73rd minute) scored for Al Sailiya. Nasser al-Nasr (seventh minute) and captain Baha Faisal (38th-minute penalty) scored for Al Shamal.
Both teams had lost their openers, Al Shamal to Al Gharafa and Al Sailiya to champions Al Sadd, so they showed determination and played eagerly to collect full points from the beginning.
Al-Nasr gave Al Shamal, who are back in the First Division after six seasons, an early lead by scoring off an Ali Awad pass from the left.
Al Sailiya levelled the score through Adama, with Ramin Rezaein giving the cross from the right. Al Shamal’s Yasin Yacoub failed to clear the ball and Adama only had to connect the ball into the net.
Al Shamal went ahead for a second time when Baha converted a penalty awarded after Al Sailiya’s Ali Jasemi fouled al-Nasr.
Into the second half, Mohamed Salah El Neel and Adama continued to lead Al Sailiya’s attack, while Jeison Escobar came off the bench to join Baha in the Al Shamal frontline. Al Sailiya showed more purpose in their attacks and were rewarded with two quick goals.
First, Fettouhi’s long-ranger, after Mbodji gave him the pass, went in off a deflection. Then, Mudather’s beaming shot, also from long range, beat Al Shamal goalkeeper Hassan Idriss hands down.
Meanwhile, Ali Awad’s shot went out after it hit Al Sailiya’s Rami Fayez’s leg and Baha’s free-kick towards the end of the game went wide, as Al Shamal crashed to their second loss.
Qatar SC’s Sebastian Soria scores against Al Sadd.