Yusupha Njie scored a brace as Al Markhiya defeated Al Gharafa 3-2 in the postponed Week 13 match of the 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League at the Grand Hamad Stadium of Al Arabi club on Tuesday.

Njie’s goals came in 45+2 minute and 90+7 minute, while his team-mate Bashar Resan got his goal in the 55th minute.

Al Gharafa’s goals, on the other hand, came courtesy of  Dami Traore in the 22nd minute and Yacine Brahimi (from the penalty spot in the 89th minute).

With the result, Al Markhiya now have 14 points, while Al Gharafa remained on 41 points with two more matches remaining before the end of season.

The match, as expected, was full of thrills and frills from the start, considering what was at stake between both sides, with title-chasing Al Gharafa in contention against an Al Markhiya side who are battling to avoid relegation.

After several missed chances on both sides, Al Gharafa finally got the opening goal in the 22nd minute through Traore, who nodded home from a Brahimi corner kick to further give The Cheetahs’ title dream a boost.

Al Gharafa were on the brink of recording another goal in the 29th minute when Al Markhiya’s Naby Sarr almost diverted the ball into his own net in an effort to clear an attempt by Al Gharafa’s Ahmed Alaaeldin, but he was luckily saved by the upright as the ball bounced out for a corner kick.

Al Gharafa continued to mount pressure on Al Markhiya from there on, but were unlucky to register another goal with the match heading to the concluding part of the first half. And when it seemed coach Pedro Martins would be heading for the dugout with the lone-goal lead, Al Markhiya struck, with Njie grabbing the equaliser in two minutes of added time after a defensive error from Al Gharafa allowed Resan to square up a pass to the Gambian international, who wasted no time in finding the back of goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar’s net.

Al Markhiya came out of the dugout for the concluding half of the match looking quite different from the team that were more on the defensive for most of the first half, as they appeared to be the more determined of the two sides with their newfound attacking style of play.

It was therefore not surprising when they got the lead in the 55th minute, with the role reversed as Resan provided the goal while Njie supplied the assist, sending the home fans into rapturous celebrations.

With the chances of a second successive victory turning likely for Al Markhiya, who defeated Al Ahli 4-1 in Week 20, their hopes received a rude shock in the 77th minute when a penalty kick was awarded against them after Mohammed Al Abbasi was adjudged to have fouled Al Gharafa’s substitute Hamed Ismail in the 18-yard box.

Brahimi, however, missed the chance of getting his side's equaliser as the resulting spot kick, taken after a comprehensive VAR check, hit the crossbar on its way out.

Al Gharafa were given another chance at redemption in the 86th minute after goalkeeper Louay Ashour fouled a goal-bound Alaaeldin and another penalty kick was awarded to Al Gharafa, and Brahimi got it right this time around as he netted from the spot in the 89th minute to restore parity for his team.

Just when everyone thought that the spoils would be evenly shared, the deadly duo of Njie and Resan struck in the seventh minute of added time, with Njie scoring while Resan again provided the assist.

Despite Al Gharafa’s attempts at a late rally, including a last-minute free-kick, Al Markhiya stood their ground as they ran away with the vital three points to boost their relegation survival.