The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: Four-time winners Al Duhail and defending champions Al Arabi set up a tasty Amir Cup quarter-final clash following comeback victories in their respective Round of 16 matches yesterday.
Chasing the prestigious title to finish their struggling season on a high note, Christophe Galtier’s Al Duhail rallied to beat Al Shamal 3-1 while Younes Ali-coached Al Arabi fought back to edge Second Division side Al Sailiya 2-1 to stay on track for their second consecutive title.
At the Al Janoub Stadium, Al Duhail were a better side but Al Shamal gave them a scare by taking a lead in the 39th minute through Ricardo Gomes’ goal. Younes Mohamed El Hannach snatched a ball from Al Duhail captain Almoez Ali in the right, setting up Gomes to slot in the centre with a low cross from inside the box.
The Red Knights, however, drew level in the second minute of added time in the first half through a clinical spot kick by Philippe Coutinho, after Ibrahim Kader drew a foul against Matias Nani with the referee immediately penalising the Al Shamal captain.
Ismail Mohamad handed Al Duhail the lead with a first touch seven minutes into the break after Almoez’s initial attempt took a defender’s deflection.
The referee took his time to check for a possible offside but awarded the goal eventually much to the delight of Al Duhail fans.
Michael Olunga wrapped up the win three minutes before time when Al Shamal goalkeeper Abdallaelrady Elrady miscalculated a long pass and left the goal open, giving a golden opportunity to the Kenyan striker to score from outside the box.
“We became more determined after Al Shamal scored the opening goal. We fought well and will continue to give our best to achieve our goal of winning the tournament. Our next target will be a win in the quarter-final,” Ismail said after the win.
Later, Al Sailiya’s Abdullah Mohammed broke the deadlock in the 50th minute after a goalless first half at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.
It was Hadi Ali Tabasideh who crafted the goal with a clever through pass and Abdullah outpaced the defenders after picking the ball to fire the Peregrines ahead.
Al Arabi took just two minutes to level through Abdou Diallo, who scored from a close range after an assist by Youssef Msakni, before Rafinha’s low left-footed drive from outside the box in the 65th minute sealed victory for Al Arabi.
Al Waab, Al Bidda eye strong debuts
Meanwhile, debutants Al Waab will face First Division side Qatar SC today, hoping to leave a mark in their maiden appearance in the tournament.
Al Waab advanced to the Round of 16 after edging Mesaimeer 3-1 in last week’s preliminary round featuring the Second Division sides.
“We are happy to be a part of Amir Cup and we are looking forward to a good performance in our first appearance in this challenging tournament,” said Al Waab coach Ahmed Abdulsalam.
“We did well in the Second Division and now our target is to give a strong performance in the Amir Cup.”
Qatar SC, who finished eighth in the Expo Stars League, are not taking their Second Division opponents lightly.
“It’s a tournament where each match is a final and requires concentrated effort. There is no margin of error so we must be fully focused,” said Qatar SC midfielder Javi Martinez.
“I’ve watched Al Waab playing and the truth is that they are a strong team and we should be at our best against them. We have great ambitions but we are also aware the journey is going to be very challenging and we are looking forward to it,” the Spaniard added.
Also today, Al Bidda, who defeated Al Shahania 1-0 in the preliminary round, face Umm Salal with coach Sami Salah eyeing a quarter-final spot.
“We are looking to reach far in the tournament on our debut in the Amir Cup. It’s a challenging event but we are confident of doing well,” he said.
Patrice Carteron, who led Umm Salal to a creditable seventh place in the ESL, said his team is focused on the match.
“We respect all our opponents and our full focus is on our next match. I hope the team will be at its best against Al Bidda as we are aiming for a place in the quarters,” said the Umm Salal coach.
“There are no easy opponents as all the teams are looking to give their best and want to far in this important tournament,” Carteron added.