Umm Salal players in action during their QSL Cup match against Al Markhiya at Al Arabi Stadium.
Umm Salal yesterday crushed Al Markhiya 3-0 at Al Arabi Stadium to set up a mouth-watering semi-final clash against football giants Al Gharafa in the QSL Cup.
Also yesterday, Al Arabi held Group B points leaders Al Rayyan to a goalless draw while a spirited Al Ahli edged past Al Sadd 3-2 in their fifth and final-round QSL Cup matches.
In Group B, both Umm Salal and Al Ahli finished on eight points, but the former advanced on better goal difference (+3 as against Al Ahli’s 0).
In the second semi-final, Al Rayyan will face Al Kharaitiyat. Both semi-finals will be played on Saturday.
In an all-round display of attacking football Umm Salal yesterday easily beat Al Markhiya for a 3-0 win.
Abdulaziz Al Yahri (31), Mahmoud Al Mawas (74) and Sagbo (76) scored the goals for Umm Salal who dominated the proceedings. It was Umm Salal’s second win of the QSL Cup helping them finished behind Al Rayyan with 8 points in Group B.
In a tense start at Qatar SC Stadium, Al Arabi captain Talal Ali went down after a rough tackle by Younus Yaqoob of Al Rayyan prompting a stoppage in play for a few minutes.
In the 9th minute, Al Rayyan striker Mohammed Kasola, who was on the backline, nearly scored an own goal when he accidentally clipped the ball past his own goalmouth.
One-time feared striker, Khalfan Ibrahim misfired from close range when he just had Al Rayyan goalkeeper to beat but he hit the ball straight at Saoud Mubarak Al Khater in the 15th minute.
In the 19th minute Yousef Ramadan of Al Arabi produced a powerful shot that was blocked by goalkeeper Al Khater. Close to the half-hour mark, Al Arabi’s Abdul Rehman Mansoor unleashed a powerful shot that narrowly flew above the Al Rayyan crossbar.
In the 65th minute, Al Rayyan coach Michael Laudrup benched Mohtesin Ali and brought in star striker Rodrigo Tabata. Despite the presence of Tabata, Al Rayyan still struggled to make inroads against a determined Al Arabi side.
Also yesterday, Al Ahli posted a 3-2 win over Doha giants Al Sadd at Al Shamal Stadium.
A double by U-23 star Fadhl Omar Said (21 penalty, and 68) was the match-winning effort for Al Ahli who also benefited from an own goal by Al Sadd’s Hassan Kamal (26). For Al Sadd, Hassan Palang also scored two goals (24 and 74) in a lost cause.
In the 4th minute, Farid Ibrahim of Al Ahli unleashed a powerful shot at Al Sadd goalmouth but the curling ball narrowly missed the target.
In the 20th minute, 19 brought down 39 resulting a penalty. Al Ahli’s Said easily converted the penalty kick by opting to go left of Al Sadd goalkeeper Meshal Issa Barshim.
In a solo effort, Al Sadd equalised in the 24th minute. Palang waited for goalkeeper to move out of his spot before calmly slotting the ball into the net with consummate ease.
The following minute, Al Ahli could have taken the lead but Fahad Ali misfired with his first-time volley on an indirect free kick. Seconds later Kamal of Al Sadd sent the ball into his own net with a poorly directed header that beat his own goalkeeper to give a 2-1 cushion to Al Ahli.
In the 68th minute, Said scored his second goal of the match when he drive a powerful shot past goalkeeper Barshim from a shot taken inside the Al Sadd box. Six minutes later, Palang produced a near-perfect snap-header for his side’s second goal.
