Doha, Qatar: Qatar SC suffered a heavy 1-4 defeat against Bahrain’s Al Riffa in the second round of the Gulf Club Champions League (GCCL) at Khalifa Sports City Stadium yesterday.
Al Riffa took the lead just 19 seconds into the match through Ali Hassan, but Sebastian Soria restored parity for Qatar SC in the 12th minute.
Al Riffa regained the lead through Ali Hussein in the 40th minute before Tayeb Meziani and Nini struck in the 47th and 56th minutes to complete the emphatic victory.
Qatar SC, who trailed 2-1 at half-time, struggled to contain their opponents after the break and conceded twice more.
The defeat left them on one point, while Al Riffa moved to three points.
Today, Al Duhail coach Djamel Belmadi is targeting another victory when his side host Yemen’s Shaab Hadramout in the second round at Thani bin Jassim Stadium.
“Our goal is to continue our winning run in the tournament, and we are taking tomorrow’s match very seriously,” the Algerian coach said.
Belmadi said the match would also provide an opportunity to give more players playing time amid several absences, while stressing that his side would focus on their own performance despite limited information about their opponents.
Al Duhail opened their campaign with a convincing victory over Oman’s Al Shabab.
