Doha: Roger Guedes and Aleksandar Mitrovic scored in each half as Al Rayyan produced a commanding display to defeat Muaither 2-0 in the QSL Cup final at Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday.
The victory delivered Al Rayyan’s first trophy of the season and the first silverware for new coach Vicente Moreno since taking charge following the departure of Artur Jorge.
It also marked the club’s first title since their Sheikh Jassim Cup triumph in 2018, boosting confidence as they now turn attention to the Amir Cup and the Gulf Club Champions League after falling short in this season’s Qatar Stars League (QSL) title race.
“It’s a great moment for everyone and everybody is happy,”
Al Rayyan’s Rodrigo Moreno said after the match.
“It was a good game and we also have to congratulate Muaither for putting up a strong tournament run throughout the competition. We played well and deserved the trophy. We will now aim to qualify for the final of Gulf Club Champions League.”
Al Rayyan were in dominant form throughout the final, continuing the level they showed across the tournament, while Nabil El Zhar’s Second Division side Muaither saw their impressive run end in disappointment.
Al Rayyan imposed their rhythm early, pressing high and dictating the tempo from the outset. Khaled Ali registered the first shot on target, but Muaither goalkeeper Majed Abdullatif Khan dealt with it comfortably, while David Garcia later sent a header over the bar.
Khaled then went close midway through the first half, his diagonal effort narrowly missing the target, before Al Rayyan finally broke the deadlock just before half-time.
Gabriel Pereira drove down the right flank and delivered a precise pass to Khaled Ali, who intelligently laid it off for Roger Guedes.
The Brazilian forward created space inside the box before calmly placing his finish into the right corner in the first minute of added time (45+1).
Al Rayyan doubled their advantage in the 53rd minute when Mitrovic powered in a close-range header from a Pereira free-kick.
The goal stood after a VAR review confirmed no offside infringement.
Muaither were unable to mount sustained pressure as Al Rayyan controlled proceedings to see out the win and celebrate the trophy.
Moreno’s side, currently third in the QSL, will now prepare for their next fixture against Al Arabi on April 28 as they aim to finish the league campaign strongly.
