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Two of Qatar’s football giants will collide when Al Sadd host Al Duhail in the Qatar Stars League at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium Thursday. The clash, which kicks off at 8pm, promises to be one of the early season highlights, pitting two sides that have dominated the domestic scene over the past decade.Both teams enter the fixture level on seven points, separated only by goal difference. Al Duhail sit sixth with two wins, two losses and a draw, while Al Sadd are just behind in seventh after recording the same results but with fewer goals scored. With the season still in its early stages, neither side can afford to lose ground in the title race, making the encounter one with potentially significant repercussions.While the league table shows little between them, recent form tells a different story. Duhail arrive brimming with confidence after back-to-back victories, including a 4-2 win over Umm Salal and a statement 8-1 demolition of Al Arabi. These results have re-energised Djamel Belmadi’s side after a patchy start, sending a message to rivals that Duhail remain serious contenders. Al Sadd, by contrast, have stumbled in their last two outings, losing to Al Shahania before being held to a draw by Al Wakrah. Felix Sanchez’s men have shown flashes of their attacking quality but have struggled to convert dominance into victories.Sanchez on Wednesday emphasised the need for his players to stay composed under pressure. “We have a very competitive match. We finished last season as the top two teams in the league, so we expect it to be a tough match,” he said. “Unfortunately, we were not able to score many points in the last two matches, so we will try to bounce back. We know the situation is not easy, but the players are accustomed to dealing with the pressure of competition and we must achieve the desired results.”Al Sadd’s veteran defender Boualem Khoukhi underlined the importance of the contest, describing it as “worth six points.”He said: “Every player will give 100 per cent to win. I know how sad our fans are with the team’s current results and we will do everything in our capacity to make them happy. The match will be at our home stadium and the presence of fans will provide us with great motivation, especially before our match against Sharjah of the UAE in the AFC Champions League Elite.”Duhail coach Belmadi, on the other hand, was quick to highlight the historical weight of the rivalry. “The match against Al Sadd is always a top-of-the-range affair, regardless of the circumstances and results of the two teams,” he said. “If we look back over the past 15 years, we will find that the competition has always been confined to the two teams, and this confirms to everyone the value of this match. It will be a very significant encounter.”The Algerian added: “Each match has its own unique nature and the accompanying events vary from one match to the next. We achieved a big win against Al Arabi in our last match, while Al Sadd settled for a draw in the same round. This does not mean much and does not reflect the outcome of the next match. The match against Al Sadd always has its own unique characteristics, and we will try to put in a strong performance against a strong competitor. We will strive to advance in the league competition, given our slight drop in the standings.”Duhail defender Sultan al-Breik echoed his coach’s sentiments: “We will try to maintain the team’s upward trend after we managed to secure six points from two consecutive victories. We will strive to achieve the match objective, which is to win with the three points.”Over the past decade, meetings between Al Sadd and Al Duhail have rarely disappointed. From title-deciding encounters to dramatic goal-fests, the rivalry has consistently delivered drama and intensity. Thursday's fixture carries all the hallmarks of another classic: two teams evenly matched on points, both with something to prove.Rayyan face GharafaIn the other match Thursday, Al Rayyan will host Al Gharafa at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. Both teams are currently tied on 10 points, having won three matches, drawn one and lost one. Al Rayyan hold the advantage in goal difference and occupy the third position. Al Gharafa come into the match after a 0-0 draw against leaders Al Shamal. On the other hand, Al Rayyan secured a convincing 3-0 win over Al Ahli.

The State of Qatar participated in the annual ministerial consultative meeting of the Council of the Arab League at the level of foreign ministers, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The State of Qatar's delegation was headed by His Excellency Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi.

The Muslim World League welcomed the decision of the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia to officially recognize the State of Palestine. In a statement, the League's General Secretariat described the move as a historic and principled step that affirms the legitimate historical and legal rights of the Palestinian people.It stressed that the recognition reflects adherence to the values of justice and comes at a critical time in support of international efforts to achieve the two-state solution.The Muslim World League affirmed that such positions represent the only viable path toward achieving a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in the region.

Qatar SC scored a hard fought 1-0 win over Al Shahania in the fifth round of Qatar Stars League at the Khalifa International Stadium Sunday to take the second spot in the standings with 13 points, and behind Al Shamal on goal difference.Al Rayyan beat Al Ahli 3-0 at the Al Thumama Stadium to move third in the table with 10 points, ahead of Al Gharafa on goal difference.At the Al Bayt Stadium Umm Salal prevailed 2-1 over Al Sailiya. Umm Salal are now 6th in standings with 8 points while bottom-placed Sailiya are yet to open their account.Brazilian forward Joao Pedro made the winning strike for Qatar SC in the 54th minute as he picked on an Eisa Palangi assist to dribble past defenders before essaying a kick from inside the top of the box into the far right corner of the net.Al Shahania, who were majorly confined to defence, made some big efforts to attack in the second half including a Daouda Soliman’s attempt to go over an advancing Qatar SC goalkeeper Ali Nader Mahmoud but in vain.Al Shahania are on four points following their third loss while Qatar SC have four wins and a draw in their unbeaten run so far.The Lions make a roarAl Rayyan handed Al Ahli a 0-3 defeat taking lead in the 29th minute through Rodrigo Machado, who finished off a pass from Wesley Ribeiro with a left-footed shot from very close range. The goal was, however, contested for an offside ruling against Aleksandar Mitrovic in its buildup, but the final decision, after a lengthy VAR check, ensured that it stood to the consternation of the Al Ahli bench and stand.Mitrovic made it two for the Lions just before the half-time break, nodding home the rebound of Rodrigo's attempt that bounced off the crossbar, as the coach Artur Jorge's men went into the dugout with a comfortable lead. While Al Ahli, who are enduring one of their worst starts to the season with only one win so far, tried to cut the deficit with some impressive play after their opponents' second goal.Luck was, however, not on their side, as Al Rayyan got their third in the 86th minute with Róger Guedes, assisted by Mohamed Surag, hammering home a right-footed shot from the left side of the box following a fast break to ensure an emphatic victory for the visiting team, who recorded their third win of the season.Umm Salal find winning waysUmm Salal bounced back to winning ways with a 2-1 defeat of Al Sailiya. The match appeared evenly balanced after the hour mark when Al Sailiya’s Omar Yahya conceded a penalty following a seemingly rash challenge on Umm Salal’s Abdulrahman Al Rashidi. The decision, which was heavily contested by Al Sailiya, eventually stood after a VAR check and the resultant spot kick was cleverly converted by Oussama Tannane in the 33rd minute. Umm Salal continued to be the better side on resumption of proceedings in the second half, offering waves of relentless attacks while pegging the visitors to their own half of the field for most of the encounter.Their efforts eventually paid off as they doubled their lead in the 80th minute, with Cristo Gonzalez making a brilliant overlapping run before squaring the ball to Rami Suhail to slide into an almost empty net.A consolation goal from Khalid Ali in one minute of added time ended up doing little to help Al Sailiya’s cause as Umm Salal ended up with the maximum points in their kitty.

Defending champions Al Sadd’s unbeaten run continued but they were held to a 2-2 draw by Al Wakrah while Al Duhail thrashed Al Arabi 8-1 in the Qatar Stars League Saturday. Meanwhile, Al Shamal stayed top of the table even as their perfect start ended in a goalless stalemate with Al Gharafa.Redounae Berkane’s brace rescued a point for fourth-placed Al Wakrah against Al Sadd at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Sadd are in sixth place.Akram Afif opened the scoring for Al Sadd in the 18th minute with a sensational curling right-footed shot from the left side of the box after Al Wakrah's defence failed to properly clear a loose ball.With a goal up, Al Sadd were in cruise control from thereon until Ahmed Suhail appeared to have conceded a penalty in the 34th minute following what seemed to be a foul on Al Wakrah’s Hamdy Fathy in the penalty area. The initial call was, however, rescinded after a VAR check.Four minutes later, Al Sadd extended their advantage as Giovani Henrique found the back of the net after seizing the ball from Al Wakrah’s Lucas Mendes and executing a left-footed shot from the center of the box.Al Wakrah had a chance to reduce the deficit in the 55th minute when Lucas Verissimo was brought down by Al Sadd’s Pau Prim in the penalty area. Nevertheless, the resulting penalty was missed by Berkane.Berkane, however, atoned for his miss two minutes later as he latched on to a rebound from Aissa Laidouni to cut the deficit for The Blue Wave with a beautiful scissors kick from the centre of the box.The Algerian striker stunned The Wolves with his brace, deep in the penalty area, in the 73rd minute as Al Wakrah drew level with their hosts to ensure the tie ended a point apiece.Al Duhail moved to fifth in the table as they thrashed Al Arabi 8-1 at the Al Thumama Stadium. Goals for Al Duhail came from Krzysztof Piatek (third minute), Al Hashmi Al Hussain (26th minute own goal), Sultan Al Brake (34th minute), Luis Alberto (38th & 60th minutes), Adil Boulbina (51st and 68th minute penalty) and Benjamin Bourigeaud (78th minute penalty). Al Arabi’s only goal was scored by Pablo Sarabia (23rd minute).Al Arabi made matters worse for themselves when Keddari committed a foul in the 66th minute to be shown the red card after a second yellow. The Red Knights opened scoring with a fabulous header from Piatek off an Al Brake cross. Sarabia equalized for Al Arabi, striking on a second attempt against defenders.Al Hussain’s header while defending conceded an own goal as Al Duhail regained lead at 2-1 and just did not stop from there on. Al Brake struck a long ranger for the spectacular third goal.Boulbina also showed presence of mind as he flicked one over the goalkeeper for his team’s fifth goal.Al Duhail’s Piatek missed a penalty strike in the ninth minute shooting wide left of the target and later he struck the top left post in the 41st minute.At the Khalifa International Stadium, Al Shamal and Al Gharafa played a goalless draw. The captivating match puts an end to Al Shamal's impeccable 100 per cent win rate, having lost points for the first time in the season. They hold a three-point advantage over Qatars SC, who are in action Sunday.The encounter featured numerous missed opportunities in the first half, prominent was Al Shamal’s Baghdad Bounedjah’s obvious sitter, which he disappointingly directed at the goalkeeper, followed by a rebound that he headed against the post in the 37th minute, much to the dismay of the entire stadium.The latter half closely resembled the initial one, as both teams had chances to overturn the stalemate but failed to capitalise on them.With the match seemingly winding down, Al Gharafa’s Ferjani Sassi missed the last obvious chance of the day after his header from the centre of the box, following an assist by Yacine Brahimi in one minute of added time, went just inches wide to the left.

HE Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), Maryam bint Abdullah al- Attiyah, and member of the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions, called on General Secretariat of the League of Arab States to support NHRC's regional and international efforts to expose the grave Israeli violations committed in context of the aggression against Qatar, and to amplify voices of victims before all international and regional human rights bodies and mechanisms.During a meeting of the Arab Network delegation with Secretary-General of the Arab League, Dr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Her Excellency al- Attiyah stressed the importance of the League's backing for accountability and investigation efforts, including prosecuting those responsible for serious human rights violations and crimes and ensuring they do not escape punishment. She highlighted the dangers of violations resulting from the Israeli aggression, which targeted a populated area that included schools and diplomatic missions.The meeting, held in Cairo, was attended by President of the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions, Samar Haj Hassan, Secretary-General of the Arab Network, Sultan bin Hassan al-Jamali, and heads of human rights bodies and centers from several Arab countries. Al-Attiyah urged the League to support the outcomes of the Arab Network's extraordinary General Assembly, convened last Tuesday.She explained that immediately after the attacks on Qatar, NHRC sent urgent appeals to trigger international action against the aggression. Letters were addressed to Secretary-General of the UN, Antonio Guterres; UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk; President of UN Human Rights Council, Jurg Lauber; as well as the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions and its four regional networks. Communications were also sent to leading international and regional human rights organizations, including International Labour Organization, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Penal Reform International, International Federation of Journalists, and UN Development Programme.She affirmed that this aggression also constitutes a flagrant violation of international law provisions related to protection of civilians, and of international human rights law, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which guarantees children's right to protection and safety.She noted that the Israeli attack on Qatar caused humanitarian tragedies and severe material damage, in addition to deep psychological impacts on civilians — particularly women and children — turning residential areas into zones of fear and terror.Al-Attiyah added that the communications clarified how the shelling struck a civilian area containing schools, nurseries, diplomatic residences, and several embassies, placing diplomats, children, and families in direct danger. She noted that the presence of a fuel station in the targeted area posed an imminent risk of a wider humanitarian catastrophe.She further stressed that reports indicate rising cases of trauma among schoolchildren and women, underscoring the urgent need for international attention and immediate measures to protect civilians and ensure accountability.The NHRC chairperson called for incorporating the Israeli aggression against Qatar and its resulting grave human rights violations on the agenda of Arab League's Permanent Human Rights Committee at its next session, emphasizing the League's pivotal role in supporting the recommendations of the Arab Network's extraordinary meeting.She also underlined the importance of the Arab League in strengthening comprehensive reform of the UN system, to end double standards and impunity in dealing with violations committed by Israeli occupation forces against civilians. Al- Attiyah revealed that she called for an emergency meeting of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in the coming days.In a related context, she reviewed the NHRC's efforts to document and expose the grave violations resulting from the aggression in its communications with relevant regional and international bodies, and to reveal all violations committed by Israeli forces against civilians.Finally, al-Attiyah praised the efforts of the Arab League's General Secretariat and its supportive stance toward Qatar and its people in the face of the Israeli attacks, commending at the same time the broad Arab and Islamic solidarity with the victims and their families.

Pep Guardiola acknowledged that Manchester City are not considered among the favourites to win the Champions League ahead of their opening game against Napoli Thursday.City have regularly reached the sharp end of Europe's top club competition in recent years, winning the trophy for the first time in 2023. They suffered a painful early exit last season, losing to 15-time champions Madrid in a two-legged play-off with a place in the knockout stages at stake.According to the bookmakers Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal and defending champions Paris Saint-Germain are all considered more likely winners of this season's Champions League. Guardiola was asked at his pre-match press conference whether he saw City as contenders."Apparently, we are not," he said. "And (we must) just enjoy the moment, the journey. We are happy to be here. In the past, we have been. We just won once, so that is a lot of difficulty. (We are) Just focusing tomorrow on the game we have to play, starting this competition well."City are intent on making their mark after finishing last season without a trophy for the first time in eight years. They started the Premier League season slowly, with two defeats in their first three games, but bounced back to crush Manchester United 3-0 on Sunday.Guardiola has rebuilt his squad over the past two transfer windows, with a clutch of long-serving players exiting the club, including Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Ederson. Thursday's game against the Italian champions will feature an emotionally charged return to the Etihad for De Bruyne, who joined Napoli in June after a 10-year trophy-laden stint in Manchester.Guardiola said he was looking forward to seeing the midfielder but only "after the game" The City boss said it was no surprise that De Bruyne had settled quickly in Italy."The players in that level don't need much time to adapt and perform well," he said, praising his former player's "talent and vision".City's new goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma also spoke to reporters on the eve of the match against Napoli, underlining that the club had been his top choice. The Italy international won the Champions League with PSG in May but was deemed surplus to requirements by the French club, completing a £26mn deadline-day switch to City. "My desire was to come here," said Donnarumma, who has replaced Ederson as first-choice goalkeeper. "That was my first and only option, the only thing I wanted."Injured Yamal ruled out of Barca's trip to NewcastleBarcelona forward Lamine Yamal will miss Thursday's visit to Newcastle United in the Champions League with a groin injury, the Spanish club said when they announced the squad that had travelled for their league phase opener at St James' Park.Yamal suffered the injury while on international duty with Spain and Barca boss Hansi Flick slammed the national team for not taking better care of the 18-year-old, who also missed the weekend LaLiga win over Valencia.Apart from Yamal, who started the season strongly with two goals and two assists in LaLiga, Barcelona said on Wednesday that Alejandro Balde and Gavi are also out along with long-term absentee Marc-Andre ter Stegen but Frenkie de Jong is available. Barca were knocked out in the semi-finals last term while Newcastle are back in the Champions League after failing to qualify for last season's competition.

As part of its commitment to fulfilling its social responsibility role and continuing to engage with all sections of the society and school students, Qatar Stars League supported Individual Sports Skills Championship held at Shafallah Center for Persons with Disabilities, an organisation under the umbrella of Qatar Foundation for Social Work. In the event that took place on Wednesday, representatives from QSL and Shafallah Center were present along with a number of club stars.The event included a variety of recreational activities and attendees took commemorative photos. Gifts were distributed to children enrolled at the center and participants from a number of schools.

The Muslim World League has welcomed the outcomes of the final communique issued by the Emergency Arab-Islamic Summit, which was held in Doha. Secretary-General of the League, Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al Issa, praised the summit and its statement for embodying values of solidarity and unity in the face of Israeli aggression against Qatar, describing it as an attack on all Arab and Islamic countries.He emphasized the firm rejection of any attempts to justify this aggression under any pretext. At the same time, Dr. Al Issa highlighted the summit's outcomes, which hold the Israeli government responsible for undermining any prospects for peace in the region through its aggressive policies, including genocide, ethnic cleansing, starvation, blockades, settlement activities, and its expansionist policies — leading up to the recent treacherous attack on Qatari territory.He noted Qatar's role as a key mediator in efforts to secure a ceasefire and end the war on Gaza, describing this as a dangerous escalation and an attack on diplomatic efforts to restore peace.Dr. Al Issa also stressed the importance of the statement's rejection of Israeli occupation rhetoric, which employs "Islamophobia" to legitimize its violations of international law and distort the image of Arab and Islamic countries.He further commended the UN General Assembly's adoption of the "New York Declaration" regarding the implementation of the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, viewing it as a clear expression of international support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

Qatar’s Al Sadd came from behind to hold the Iraqi side Al Shorta 1-1 in their AFC Champions League Elite League Stage opener at the Al Zawraa Stadium in Baghdad Monday. Al Shorta took the lead through Dominique Mendy in the first half but Hassan al-Haydos equalised for the Qatari side in the second period as the sides had to be satisfied with a stalemate. Al Shorta controlled the narrative from the start with Mendy almost beating Al Sadd keeper Meshaal Barsham in the 16th minute when his shot from distance sailed just over the crossbar. Felix Sanchez’s Al Sadd almost found a way through eight minutes later when Al Haydos lobbed a neat pass to Rafa Mujica, only for the forward to miscue his volley from inside the box. Al Shorta’s pressure was rewarded in the 28th minute with Mendy marking his debut with a memorable goal after latching onto a poor clearance to drive into the box and drilling the ball past Barsham. Al Sadd nearly responded 10 minutes later with Akram Afif firing wide from distance, while Mujica saw his effort come back off the right post after slipping past two Al Shorta defenders and keeper Ahmed Basil. The Iraqi side stayed on top of things in the second half with Leonel Ateba threatening in the 56th minute before Al Sadd hit back six minutes later. Mujica’s effort was blocked before Boualem Khoukhi saw his header denied by the bar from the ensuing corner, which led to the Spaniard seeing his cross into the box deflected onto the path of Al Haydos, who struck with precision into the bottom left corner. Al Shorta piled on the pressure in the closing stages with Mendy and Abdulrazzaq Qasim seeing their efforts from distance fall short while Mahmoud Al Mawas left Barsham off the hook through his free-kick. Afif had a chance to snatch victory in the third minute of stoppage time but skied his close range effort as the sides settled for the share of the spoils. Ten-man Gharafa lose in thriller Igor Coronado struck deep into injury time to earn hosts Sharjah FC a thrilling 4-3 win over 10-man Al Gharafa at Sharjah Stadium as the Emirati side kicked off their AFC Champions League Elite campaign in dramatic style. Coronado slid his shot beyond substitute goalkeeper Lecomte Amine nine minutes into stoppage time to complete a remarkable comeback for the AFC Champions League Two 2024/25 winners, who had trailed for much of the match. The Qataris were given the opportunity to go in front in the 33rd minute when referee Majed al-Shamrani was called to the pitch side monitor to review a tackle by Geronimo Poblete on Yacine Brahimi, with the official eventually pointing to the spot. Brahimi took full advantage, stepping up to fire a right-foot strike high into the top corner and well beyond the dive of Darwish Mohammad. Vladimir Prijovic almost levelled two minutes into added time when he fizzed a shot wide of Khalifa Ababacar’s left post while seconds later Coronado, introduced from the bench just moments later, clipped the frame of the goal with another effort from the edge of the area. Sharjah’s hopes were further dented four minutes into added time when Brahimi’s perfectly weighted pass released Joselu into the area and the Spanish striker put his first-time effort past Mohammad. The home side looked beaten at the interval but halved the deficit on the hour mark to spark a revival. Ousmane Camara was brought down by Seydou Sano’s challenge and, although Ababacar saved Manaj’s penalty, the striker converted the rebound. Two minutes later the teams were level. The Al Gharafa defence made a mess of clearing Coronado’s cross from the right and Camara thumped his shot into the bottom corner from eight yards out. A foul by Shaheen Abdalla on Joselu handed the initiative back to the visitors, the Sharjah captain upending the former Real Madrid forward, who converted the penalty to put his side back in front in the 73rd minute. Ababacar’s clumsy foul on Manaj in the dying minutes saw the goalkeeper handed a red card and Manaj stepped up to thump his free kick home while nine minutes later Coronado claimed the points for Sharjah with a left-foot finish that he slotted past the Amine. Duhail face away test against Hilal Qatar’s Al Duhail will take on Saudi giants Al Hilal in their opening AFC Champions League Elite Tuesday. Duhail, who have only once advanced to the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League, will be determined to throw a spanner in Hilal's bid for the title. The records, however, are not in their favour as Duhail have lost their last three matches against Saudi teams in the competition. Hilal - after their semi-final disappointment last season - can be expected to spare no effort in their bid for a fifth Asian title, which spells danger for Qatar's Duhail. Hilal walked away 7-0 winners the last time the two sides met on the continental stage - in the semi-finals of the 2022 edition - which stretched their unbeaten run against Duhail to six games. Such is their record that Hilal have only lost once at home in 12 meetings against teams from Qatar on the continental stage.

Paris Saint-Germain earned a fourth consecutive win with a 2-0 triumph over Lens in the fourth round of the French Football League (Ligue 1) season. French international Bradley Barcola netted both goals for PSG in the 15th and 51st minutes, bringing his season tally to three league goals.With the win, PSG tops the table with 12 points, while Lens suffered its second defeat of the season, slipping to seventh place with six points after two wins.Meanwhile, Lille secured a 2-1 victory over Toulouse. Algerian international Nabil Bentaleb converted a penalty in the 90th minute, before Ethan Mbappe added a second one into stoppage time (90+8). Franck Magri had earlier opened the scoring for Toulouse in the 50th minute.

Al Shorta will have to dust off rust when they host Al Sadd SC in their opening AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 tie Monday.Al Shorta have yet to kick off their Iraqi domestic campaign while reigning Qatar champions Al Sadd will have the benefit of having already played several competitive matches.Both sides endured contrasting fortunes on the continental stage last season - Al Shorta's campaign ended in the League Stage while Al Sadd advanced to the quarter-finals."I'm happy to be in Baghdad, and I hope the match will be enjoyable for the fans," Al Sadd coach Felix Sanchez said Sunday. "We realize the importance of the tournament with its new format."What's most important now is for the players to be in the best possible condition for the match," he added.Al Sadd defender Tarqe Salman said Sunday: "A strong and somewhat a difficult match awaits us against the Shorta. Our loss against Al Shahaniya was a setback (in QSL), but we are capable of getting back on the right track."It will be a first meeting between the sides and the two will be determined to start on the front foot with Al Shorta having never won their opening AFC Champions League match while 2011 champions Al Sadd are winless in their last six curtain raisers.Al Shorta, in fact, only managed a single victory as they finished 11th in the League Stage last season.Al Sadd will be confident of taking the points, having ended a three-season wait by advancing to the knockout stage last season and the mercurial Akram Afif - who was involved in goals in each of his last five AFC Champions League Elite matches - will be expected to lead their charge.Sharjah FC (UAE) v Al Gharafa SCSharjah FC and Al Gharafa SC will target an opening day win when they square off in the AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 Monday.UAE's Sharjah will be aiming to maintain their momentum from their AFC Champions League Two 2024/25 triumph while Qatar's Al Gharafa will be determined to avoid last season's league stage exit.The sides have kicked off their respective domestic forms relatively well, with Sharjah in the upper half of the standings.Al Gharafa defeated Al Sailiya 2-0 on Friday to sit third in the Qatar Stars League standings and will look forward to a first meeting with Sharjah.The UAE side, who were held 2-2 by Khor Fakkan in their league tie on Friday, will be determined to maximise home ground advantage, with Sharjah having a poor record against teams from Qatar on the continental stage - having only won once in six previous encounters.Al Gharafa will be keen to avoid last season's troubles on the continental stage, where they won only two of their matches to finish 10th in the standings.