Gharafa make winning start as Wakrah hold Arabi 2-2

Al Gharafa rallied from being 0-2 down to overpower Umm Salal in a six-goal thriller in their Qatar Stars League (QSL) at the Al Bayt Stadium Friday.The Cheetahs roared back in the second half and it was the burly Icelandic midfielder Aron Gunnarsson, who shot home superbly after a long dash in the 88th minute to break the deadlock at 2-2 before Senagalese Seydou Sano added the finishing touch deflecting in a Yacine Brahimi cross (90+7’) to make it 4-2 for the winners.Earlier, Antonio Mance (28’) and Oussama Tannane (46’) had put The Orange Fortress ahead in the first half. Croatian star Mance broke into the ‘D’ to catch a smart lob over two defenders from Michael Baidoo to surprise the Al Gharafa goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar while Moroccan winger Tannane latched on to the ball after a mistake by Umm Salal’s Ferjani Sassi to go on and score from between the legs of Ababacar.Umm Salal had more chances, Mance in particular, but they failed to capitalise. Mance also hit the bottom of the left post once.Al Gharafa came back rejuvenated after the break and soon won a penalty (59’) which was coolly converted by their Spanish star Joselu (2-1). A battle ensued and Al Gharafa attacked more fetching the equaliser in the 74th minute with Ahmed Al Ganehi striking from top of the box into the left side of the net. Two minutes later, Brahimi swung in a kick but it hit the right post to fall away. In the 82nd minute, Umm Salal’s Tannane came close to striking but hit just over the bar.Minutes later, Al Gharafa keeper Ababacar made a fine save with his right shoulder while kneeling. Gharafa’s efforts to attack paid dividends as Gunnarsson picked on a defence lapse to make a long run before firing in his team’s third goal.A deal ball move then saw Brahimi providing a fine cross from the left for a waiting Sano to register the final goal of the match, much to the delight of Al Gharafa coach Pedro Martins.Earlier, Al Arabi and Al Wakrah shared a 2-2 draw at the Al Thumama Stadium. Al Arabi’s new signings Kenyan striker Michael Olunga (15’) and Spanish midfielder Pablo Sarabia (38’) proved their worth for The Dream Team.Al Wakrah’s Amine Zouhzouh and Redouane Berkane, who replaced him in the 46th minute, scored for Al Wakrah. Al Arabi’s Michael Olunga was named the player of the match for his outstanding efforts.‘Beginning is always difficult’Al Sadd coach Felix Sanchez, whose side will take on Qatar SC in their season opener today, stressed the importance of a good start."The first match is always important because a good start to the season is essential, especially for the defending champions, and of course we will strive to get the three points."We remember last season, when we were unable to start with a victory.We know that we will face a team that has undergone many changes in the coaching staff and has added new players, so this is a good opportunity for us to start the season with a strong challenge."We are the champions of last season and we know that if we want to achieve the same results as last season, we have to start well. The team is very excited and the players are looking forward to the match. We hope to perform well and achieve a positive result,” said Sanchez.Al Sadd goalkeeper Saad al-Dossari said: "The match against Qatar SC will be difficult. Our goal is to perform at our best and achieve victory."We had a strong preparation period that included most of the first-team players. We have a group of distinguished players and we are striving for a strong and distinguished season for Al Sadd.”Qatar SC coach Marquez Lopez also sounded confident Friday. "It will be an important test, but I am confident in my team’s ability to make a good start. We have had a good preparation period and we are ready for our first match in the league.Our goal is always to focus. It is well known that the opening match is of great importance, especially when facing the defending champions. We hope to achieve the desired result,” Lopez said."Al Sadd are a stable team and we have become a new team. We hope to confirm our development in the upcoming matches, starting with the opening match of our league journey, and to focus on our match to achieve our aspirations and those of our fans,” said Marquez.Meanwhile, Al Duhail coach Djamel Belmadi said his boys are ready for the opener against Al Shahaniya. "We have turned the chapter after our victory over Sepahan and qualified for the AFC Champions League Elite.We are now focused on facing Al Shahaniya on Saturday in the opening match of the league. Our preparations had begun in earnest despite the limited time.I cannot confirm whether or not there will be changes to the team’s lineup for the match against Al Shahaniya compared to the lineup that played against Sepahan, but I assure you that everyone is ready to participate whenever called upon,” said Belmadi.