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Al Duhail secured their first win after defeating Shabab Al Ahli 4-1 in their AFC Champions League Elite tie at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium Monday.It was a stunning victory as UAE’s Shabab Al Ahli had come into the tie very much in form, having accumulated seven points from their earlier matches while Al Duhail had only managed a draw from their preceding games.Al Duhail survived an early blunder when Federico Cartabia pounced on Bogdan Planic’s stray pass to find Sultan Adil but keeper Bautista Burke came to the rescue, denying the forward inside the opening minute. Luis Alberto turned the tables on Shabab Al Ahli a minute later when he threaded a sublime pass to Edmílson Junior on the left flank with the Brazilian cutting inside before unleashing a rasping shot, touching the fingertips of keeper Hamad Al Meqbaali before nestling into the bottom right corner.The Qatari outfit thought they had a penalty in the fourth minute following Benjamin Bourigeaud’s apparent handball inside the area but the decision was ruled out for a free-kick at the edge of the box, which Cartabia sent wide.Al Duhail continued to dominate, coming agonisingly close when Krzysztof Piatek struck the post after a clever exchange with Marco Verratti.Their pressure paid off in the 39th minute when Benjamin Bourigeaud had the time and space to send a curling effort from just above the box past Al Meqbaali off Edmilson’s corner.Shabab Al Ahli refused to give up and reduced the deficit three minutes later with Breno Cascardo converting Cartabia’s corner with a glancing header.Shabab Al Ahli started the second half brightly, with Guilherme Bala firing narrowly wide from distance in the 52nd minute, while Yuri Cesar saw his close-range effort blocked following a period of sustained pressure.Al Duhail, however, put the brakes on Shabab Al Ahli’s momentum in the 57th minute with Adil Boulbina latching on to Benjamin Bourigeaud’s cutback and rifling his shot into the corner.Shabab Al Ahli escaped going further behind in the 65th minute when Al Meqbaali was forced to tip over Bourigeaud’s effort from just above the box before the shot stopper guessed the right way to deny Piatek from the spot after Mateus Henrique conceded a penalty for bringing down Edmílson.The Emiratis threatened through Kauan Santos in the 76th minute, who saw his stinging free-kick palmed away by Burke while at the other end, Al Meqbaali was kept on his toes, denying Luis Alberto from distance.Boulbina was denied his second after hitting the left post in the 79th minute with Al Duhail completing the emphatic win through Luis Alberto’s strike in stoppage time.

Al Rayyan defeated Al Duhail 3-1 in the fourth round of the QSL Cup at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium. Ali al-Qahtani opened the scoring for Al Rayyan in the 54th minute, with Mohammed Siraj and Faisal Mohammed adding goals in the 66th and 76th minutes respectively. Mubarak Shanan had earlier put Al Duhail ahead in the 35th minute. The win lifted Al Rayyan to 13 points, while Al Duhail remained on four. At the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Al Shahaniya pulled off a surprise 2-1 victory over Al Sadd in an exciting contest. Mohammed Balah gave Al Shahaniya the lead in the 32nd minute, before Abdulrahman al-Sultan equalised early in the second half. However, Ali Saeed al-Mohannadi struck deep into stoppage time to hand Al Shahaniya their third win of the competition. Al Sadd, meanwhile, suffered their fourth defeat, having drawn once so far. In another fixture, Al Arabi crushed Lusail 6-1 at the Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium. Yazan al-Naimat scored a hat-trick (22nd, 34th, 87th minutes), while Joao Pedro netted twice (19th, 40th), and Michel Olunga added a sixth in the 75th minute. Mohammed Shaaban scored Lusail’s lone goal in the 57th minute. The result took Al Arabi to 13 points, while Lusail stayed on four. At Saud bin Abdulrahman Stadium, Al Gharafa and Mesaimeer played out a 2-2 draw. Moaz Adam and Abu Al-Qasim Mohammed put Al Gharafa 2-0 ahead, but Hamad Balgheeth struck twice to earn Mesaimeer a share of the spoils. Qatar SC, who were languishing in 16th place with three points, improved slightly to four following this round, while Mesaimeer moved to six points.

Al Gharafa went top of the table after defeating Al Ahli 3-1, while Al Arabi stunned defending champions Al Sadd 3-1 in the Qatar Stars League Saturday. Al Duhail, meanwhile, earned a crucial 2-0 win over Al Shamal, who slumped from top spot to third.At the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Al Sadd suffered a surprise defeat to Al Arabi, who came from behind to seal an impressive win. Akram Afif had given Al Sadd the lead in the 39th minute with a right-footed finish from the centre of the box after a clever through ball from Guilherme. However, Al Arabi responded swiftly through Michael Olunga, who headed home a fine cross from Rodri Sanchez just four minutes later.Misfortune struck Al Sadd moments before half-time when defender Ahmed Suhail inadvertently turned a Mohammed Khaled cross into his own net to hand Al Arabi the advantage. Matters worsened for the hosts when Paulo Otavio was sent off for violent conduct, leaving them a man short before the break.Al Arabi sealed the result late in the second half when Sanchez capitalised on a rebound after substitute Salem Reda’s shot struck the upright, firing home to make it 3-1. The win lifted Al Arabi to ninth place with seven points, while Al Sadd remained on eight points in seventh.Al Sadd goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham said that the match against Al Arabi was difficult and that the team is going through its toughest period. “The match was difficult, and the expulsion of Otavio affected us, especially since the players were feeling exhausted. We are going through a difficult period and it has been a while since we achieved any victory. We do not know exactly what the problem is. The fans support the team and we must return in better shape,” he said.Meanwhile, at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium, Al Duhail recorded a vital win over Al Shamal. Krzysztof Piatek opened the scoring in the 25th minute before Tahsin Jamshid doubled the lead in the 41st. Despite Benjamin Bourigeaud missing a penalty late on, the Red Knights held firm for their third win of the campaign, taking their tally to 11 points as they stayed fourth. Al Shamal, suffering their first defeat of the season, remained on 14 points and dropped to third.Al Duhail coach Djamel Belmadi praised his side’s display, saying: “We achieved an important victory against Al Shamal. This result reflects our teamwork and determination. The players gave a great effort tonight, and I thank them for their performance and commitment.”In the day’s other fixture, Al Gharafa climbed to the summit with a convincing win over Al Ahli at Al Thumama Stadium. Goals from Ferjani Sassi (47th minute), Seydou Sano (62nd minute) and an own goal by Amin Tihi (90th minute) helped Al Gharafa to victory, while Al Ahli’s lone goal was scored from the penalty spot by Julian Draxler in the 59th minute.The result took Al Gharafa to 16 points at the top of the standings. Qatar SC, who are in action Sunday against Umm Salal, can leapfrog Gharafa with a win.After an exciting but goalless first half, Sassi opened the scoring for Al Gharafa two minutes into the second half with a beautiful header from the centre of the box following a corner. The goal seemed to spur the hosts into action, and they responded 12 minutes later from the spot through Draxler following a foul on Michel Vlap by Sassi in the penalty area.The Cheetahs restored their lead through Sano three minutes later, who nodded home from an unmarked position following a corner kick by Yacine Brahimi. Al Ahli’s woes were further compounded at the stroke of regulation time when Tihi unwittingly turned the ball into his own net from a blocked shot to ensure a convincing win for Al Gharafa.

Hosts Al Wahda came back from going a goal behind to remain unbeaten in the AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 as Jose Morais’ side notched up a 3-1 win over Qatar’s Al Duhail at Abu Dhabi's Al Nahyan Stadium on Monday.Kryzsztof Piatek had given the visitors a 20th minute lead but an Omar Khribin penalty 15 minutes later levelled the scores before Brahima Diarra put Al Wahda in front two minutes into stoppage time and Ala Zouhir hit a spectacular third in the 67th minute.The result moves Al Wahda onto seven points from their first three games while Al Duhail are still looking for their first win, with Djamel Belmadi’s side on one point.Al Wahda had impressed in the opening exchanges, only for Morais’ side to go behind.Dusan Tadic sliced his close-range effort wide of the Al Duhail goal in the 12th minute after being played in on goal by Zouhir as the home side made a positive start with the former Ajax Amsterdam playmaker to the fore.Zouhir unlocked the visiting defence again three minutes later when he muscled his way past the defence to clip in a cross from the right that the unmarked Caio Canedo slammed over the bar from 15 yards out.It was against the run of play, then, that Al Duhail took the lead as the halfway point in the half approached.Sultan Al Brake’s perfect pass from 35 yards out sliced through the Al Wahda defence to find Adil Boulbina as he scampered towards the byeline, the winger cutting the ball back first time to set up Piatek to push his shot over from inside the six yard box.Jean-Charles Castelletto’s pull on Khribin’s shirt saw referee Gulmurodi Sadullo point to the penalty spot and the Syria international showed no hesitation to slam his spot-kick beyond Arthur Desmas as dived the wrong way.Two minutes into time added on at the end of the half, Al Wahda went in front.Tadic’s clever flick over the defence found Diarra and, while his initial attempt was headed away by defender Youssef Ayman, the midfielder’s persistence ensured he netted at the second attempt from a tight angle after sidestepping Desmas’ dive.Al Wahda sealed the win in spectacular fashion midway through the second half, Tadic seeing his shot from 25 yards take a deflection off Cestelletto and Zouhir reacted, springing into the air to launch an unstoppable overhead strike beyond the helpless goalkeeper.

Al Arabi handed Al Duhail a crushing 4-0 defeat in the fifth round match of the QSL Cup 2025-26 season at the Grand Hamad Stadium Sunday.The victory, Al Arabi’s third of the tournament, Sunday kept them in third place in the standings with 10 points – behind on goal difference with leaders Al Kharaitiyat and second-placed Umm Salal.Al Rayyan, also with 10 points, are in fourth spot.Al Duhail with a second loss and 4 points have slipped to 15th place.Al Arabi were on the attack against Al Duhail from the word go with Isaac Lihadji scoring in the 2nd minute of the match. Jordan Veretout scored the team’s second goal in the 40th minute.In the second half Aladin Hasan (67th minute) and Pablo Sarabia (72nd minute) added more to the tally.Umm Salal thrash Al Sadd 5-0 Earlier, Umm Salal blanked Al Sadd 5-0 at the Al Shamal Stadium.It was Umm Salal’s third win of the tournament while Al Sadd, who suffered their third defeat, remain on 1 point and in 19th place in the 20-team tournament.Umm Salal led 1-0 at half time only to come back steamrolling in the second session to score four more goals.Antonio Mance (38th minute), Cristo Gonzalez (48th minute), Jean Quaisi (70 & 82 minutes) and Ahmed Sayed (90+1 minute) got the goals for Umm Salal.Qatar SC beat Al Ahli 6-1Qatar SC yesterday beat Al Ahli 6-1 at Al Khor Stadium.The game was clearly beyond Al Ahli’s reach by the blast of the whistle for the closing of the first half, with Qatar SC leading 4-0, benefiting from two own goals from Al Ahli’s Khaled Hassan (second and 39th minutes), while Raoul Sanda (14th minute) and Saeed Brahmi (44th minute) added one each.The Brigadiers got their consolation goal in the 49th minute via a penalty kick through Talal Ali, but Joao Pedro (75th minute) and Yan Matheus (88th minute) added two more for Qatar SC to ensure the emphatic victory, which secured them their first 3 points (their only points so far) of the competition, while Al Ahli remained on 1 point.

Al Duhail will face UAE’s Al Wahda at the Al Nahyan Stadium for their AFC Champions League Elite 2025-26 match at the at the Al Nahyan Stadium Monday.Al Wahda will target maximum points when they welcome Al Duhail to the Al Nahyan Stadium for their AFC Champions League Elite tie at the Al Nahyan Stadium Monday.The UAE side sit fourth in the standings with four points, while Qatar’s Al Duhail are three adrift in ninth place.Al Wahda, however, will tread carefully as their head-to-head record isn’t in their favour, having lost both previous encounters against the Qatari side.They will draw confidence from their good start to the season – domestically as well as on the continental stage – in their bid to walk away with the points.Leading their charge will be Omar Khribin, who led Syria to AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 qualification this past week.Al Duhail, who held defending champions Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli to a 2-2 draw three weeks ago, need to get on the winning trail if knockout stage qualification is to be achieved.“We are ready to play the match, and we look forward to achieving our first victory in the continental competition,” Al Duhail coach Djamel Belmadi said.“Although we have only earned one point from two matches, I do not consider them negative results, especially since we played against Al Hilal and Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia, and I believe that the confrontation with Al Wahda will also be strong, during which we will try to play with extreme focus.”That will require defensive resolve, with four goals having already been conceded but they are struggling for form – sitting sixth in the Qatar Stars League.They did come within a whisker of defeating Al Ahli and if they can reproduce that form, they may well extend their winning streak against Al Wahda.Al Gharafa vs Al Ahli Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia will be aiming to return to winning ways when they entertain Al Gharafa in the AFC Champions League Elite at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium Monday.The defending champions were held to a 2-2 draw by Qatar’s Al Duhail SC on Matchday Two, which halted the Saudi Arabian side’s winning run at eight.The draw, however, meant that Al Ahli joined Saudi Pro League rivals Al Hilal SFC and Ulsan HD of South Republic on a 20-match unbeaten run in the continental showpiece and they will be determined to claim the record for themselves Monday.The head-to-head with Al Gharafa is very much in Al Ahli’s favour as they are unbeaten in their last five meetings – winning two and drawing three.They will expect to score, having already netted six goals, but their defence has been porous with four conceded in their earlier two matches and Al Ahli will be focused on staying tight at the back.Al Gharafa will not be fazed by the prospect of playing Al Ahli away, especially after defeating Iraq’s Al Shorta 2-0 on Matchday Two.Al Gharafa’s coach Pedro Martins while addressing the media on eve of the match, said, “A tough match awaits us against the title holder, and we will play in our style with the aim of achieving victory.”Joselu will be counted on to deliver the goals, with the Spanish forward leading the continental charts with three and if he scores Monday, he will become the first Al Gharafa player to score in three consecutive games to start a season since at least 2013.The Qatari side, however, have lost their last three away games on the continent.

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.

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.

Al Shahania stunned defending champions Al Sadd 1-0 to secure their first win in the Qatar Stars League at the Al Bayt Stadium Friday.Shahania’s successful strike came in the 23rd minute, with Pelle van Amersfoort scoring intelligently after being in a one-on-one situation with Al Sadd’s Pedro Miguel in front of the goal. The Dutch player chose to lob the ball which went on to hit the top right post before going into the net.A sizzling second half had Al Sadd launching several robust attacks but in vain including a 56th minute Pau Prim powerful strike from outside the box which hit the crossbar.Goalkeeper Shehab Ellethy excelled under the bar for Al Shahania. Among his many saves was a standout in the 28nd minute when he leapt high to punch away a strong Youcef Atal shot.The result took Shahania’s tally to four points while displaying their strong defence which foiled many Al Sadd attempts to equalise, especially in the second half. Al Sadd suffered a second loss in the league and their tally remained on six points.Piatek hat-trick powers Duhail to victoryPolish striker Krzysztof Piatek scored a hat-trick as Al Duhail notched their first win, prevailing 4-2 over Umm Salal at the Khalifa International Stadium.Umm Salal led 2-1 at half-time, but Al Duhail hit back with three goals in the second session. The result took Al Duhail to four points, while Umm Salal’s tally remained on three.The fast-paced game saw its first big thrill in the 27th minute with Umm Salal’s Oussama Tannane essaying a brilliant free kick from 10 yards outside the box and which swung left and dipped into the net.Al Duhail hit back three minutes later with Luis Alberto slotting in a cross from Adil Boulbina. Umm Salal struck back (34th minute) with Cristo Perez striking on a second attempt after Tannane provided the cross after initiating a quick move off a throw in.Piatek scored in the 61st minute as he chested a Marco Verratti pass before putting the ball into the goal. Minutes later, Umm Salal’s Kouassi fouled Mobarak Shanan inside the box incurring a penalty. Piatek scored from the spot (65th minute).In the added time (90+9 minute), Mobarak was felled by Umm Salal’s Nasser Al Ahrak and a penalty was given following VAR check. Piatek stepped up and scored completing his hat-trick.Brahimi stars as Gharafa beat SailiyaAl Gharafa defeated Al Sailiya 2-0 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. The win took The Cheetahs’ tally to nine points, while Al Sailiya are yet to open their account.Al Gharafa’s Algerian star Yacine Brahimi was instrumental in both of his team’s goals, while Tunisian Ferjani Sassi scored one and assisted Brahimi in the other.The first half ended goalless, but Al Gharafa struck soon in the second (53rd minute), with Sassi making a fine header to a swinging corner kick of Brahimi from the right.Brahimi himself fetched the second goal in stoppage time (90+2 minute) as he weaved past defenders to strike from about five yards outside the box and past a diving goalkeeper into the left corner. Brahimi was named player of the match.