Al Gharafa and Al Wakrah played out a 1-1 draw in Week 10 of the 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium of Al Gharafa club on Saturday.

Jacinto Dala opened the scoring for Al Wakrah in the 31st minute before Yacine Brahimi restored parity for Al Gharafa in the 67th minute to increase The Cheetahs’ points tally to 23, while Al Wakrah raised theirs to 18 points.

The match started at a slow pace, with both sides being cautious and wary of making unnecessary forays upfront in order not to leave their flank unexpectedly open.

The first main chance of the game fell to Al Wakrah’s Mohamed Benyettou in the seventh minute and the Algerian forward was almost bagging the goal before the flag went up for an offside.

Al Gharafa got their own chance at an opening goal in the 17th minute through Yacine Brahimi, but his right-footed shot from the left side of the box, after an inch-perfect assist from Yohan Boli, missed to the right.

While Al Gharafa did most of the work for the better part of the first half, it was Al Wakrah, however, that opened the scoring in the 31st minute of play, with Dala taking advantage of Al Gharafa’s defensive error after an Al Wakrah corner kick to hammer home a left-footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner of Al Gharafa goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar’s net.

As much as Al Gharafa tried to restore parity, the first half ended with Al Wakrah firmly in the driver’s seat of the high-intensity match.

The Cheetahs began the second half from where they stopped in the first with waves of attack on Al Wakrah, who were resolute in protecting their lone-goal lead.

Brahimi struck at Al Wakrah’s goal with a powerful right-footed shot from outside the box in the 52nd minute, but goalkeeper Saoud Al Khater broke no sweat in saving it.

After several attempts at goal, Brahimi could not be denied for too long by Al Wakrah as he got Al Gharafa back in the game in the 67th minute with a right-footed shot from very close range, following a cross from substitute Ahmed Al Janahi that goalkeeper Al Khater could only watch as it sailed into the net.

Despite several attempts at taking an outright lead on both sides, the match ended as a stalemate.