QSL
Al Gharafa and Al Arabi played out a goalless draw in Week 10 of the 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League at the Al Gharafa Stadium on Saturday.
Al Gharafa and Al Arabi now have 16 and 20 points respectively.
The high-profile match between the top-four teams witnessed huge excitement from beginning.
Both Al Gharafa and Al Arabi players displayed great performance and fighting spirit right throughout. And they were spurred on by their diehard fans.
Al Arabi called the shots early on and they had an upper hand in the first half.
The Dream Team had two goals disallowed, in the 21st and 30th minutes, with Farshid Esmaili at the receiving end on both occasions. First, it was due to a foul involved in the process of scoring and then he was adjudged offside.
Al Arabi were unlucky in first-half injury time too, as VAR cancelled a penalty awarded after Aaron Boupendza was fouled by Almahdi Ali.
At the other end, Al Gharafa’s attacks, with Cheick Diabate at the helm, lacked teeth. Sofiane Hanni and Ahmed Alaaeldin tried to make inroads, in vain.
There was no respite in action in the second half.
Boupendza’s quick header in the 51st minute was saved by Al Gharafa goalkeeper Yousef Hassan, while Diabate continued his attempts to score.
The Cheetahs were more in the picture in the second session compared to the first half. However, neither team could make a breakthrough.
Hanni’s skier from close in the 88th minute best exemplified the tale of missed opportunities, as the teams settled for a draw.