High-flying Al Arabi were brought down to earth after QNB Stars League leaders were outclassed by Al Duhail 0-3 at the Khalifa International Stadium yesterday. Despite the loss, Arabi still top the table, a one-point advantage over second-placed Al Wakrah. 
Duhail’s authoritative win saw the unbeaten winning streak of Al Arabi being halted as the Red Knights moved to third spot in the standings with 10 points following their third positive result.
Arabi had an opening own goal to rue early at the start, when Abdulla Issa al-Sulaiti put the ball onto his own net in the 9th minute. Nam Tae-hee (52th minute) and Michael Olunga (75th minute penalty) struck in the second half as Duhail ran out a comfortable victors.
With Nam Tae-hee feeding a perfect pass inside the box, al-Sulaiti, stationed to mark the rival player, went for the header but erroneously sent the ball into his own net. The disappointment seemed to pull Arabi back. They were also held back by a strong four-player resistance in the middle by Al Duhail that blocked off many Arabi moves.
Soon in the second half, Duhail doubled their tally as Nam Tae-hee headed a superb Sultan Hussain al-Brake centre to score gleefully. The goal also saw their coach Hernan Crespo exult from the stands.
Al Arabi now pushed hard to make amends and in the 57th minute came close when Omar Alsomah had a shy at the goal but his kick went just wide of the goal. Youssef Msakni kept making big efforts for Arabi but the moves could not materialise.
In the end, Abdulla Hasan al-Marafi’s hand on the ball while being in front of the goal gave Duhail another opportunity on a platter. Olunga scored off the spot kick with a left-footer to seal the deal 3-0.


Ahli, Gharafa played out a dramatic draw
Earlier, Al Ahli and Al Gharafa were involved in a dramatic 3-3 draw at the Al Thumama Stadium. 
The charged-up clash saw some frenzy scenes and three red cards being flashed as Gharafa rallied to level scores from being 1-2 down in the second half.
While Saifeldeen Fadlalla (23rd minute), Ishaq Belfodil (85th minute) and Yacine Brahimi (90+1 penalty) scored for Gharafa, Ali Qaderi (38th minute), Sofiane Hanni (40th minute) and Hossein Kanaani (61st minute) found the target for Ahli.
With either side keen on a win, the match began at a brisk pace and in the very first minute Gharafa goalkeeper Qasem Burhan had to make a good save. Gharafa then seized the initiative and soon Belfodil’s header sailed over the rival goal.
Then came a superb move from Gharafa as Brahimi moved the ball to Belfodil whose kick got deflected off the goalkeeper’s hands and rolled to Fadlalla on the left to put the ball into the net.
Soon, reduced to 10 men, Gharafa suffered the first reversal as Al Ahli scored. A Sofiane Hanni free-kick broke past the wall and a waiting Ali Qaderi slammed in to equalise.
Minutes later, Hanni returned and after a fine dribble inside the box scored the second goal to give Al Ahli the lead. 
The second half saw Gharafa make several raids on the Ahli goal, but could not succeed.
A resurgent Ahli then struck another telling blow as Kanaani scored a thrilling goal striking from a free-kick and going through the gap in the wall to find the far right corner of the net. 
At 1-3, hopes for Gharafa seemed dim, but led by their livewire captain Brahimi, they made a late comeback.
In the 85th minute, Brahimi made a move off a free-kick taken just outside of the left box and in a goal-mouth melee the ball landed with Belfodil, who calmly did the needful to make it 2-3.
The contest grew hotter as players jostled for the ball. Towards the end, Ahli’s Mohamed Abdullah al-Ishaq was pulled up for elbowing Kanaani while going for a header. 
The penalty also provided Al Gharafa the big chance and Brahimi scored to draw parity at 3-3. Al Ahli and Al Gharafa both are now on eight points.
Red cards were shown to Islom Tukhtakhuzhaev of Gharafa (36th minute), and to Shojae Khalilzadeh (87th minute) and Al Ishaq (89th minute) of Ahli for rough tackles and foul play. 
Al Gharafa coach Andrea Stramaccioni too was red-carded following flared tempers between players on the sideline in the 77th minute.