Al Arabi edge Al Kharaitiyat for key victory.Goals from Boualem Khoukhi and Ahmed Khalfan on Saturday powered Al Arabi to a convincing 2-1 win against Al Kharaitiyat, for their second of the Qatar Stars League (QSL) season.
Al Kharaitiyat's Jaralla Al-Marri reduced the deficit three minutes from time, but it proved too late for Amir Osims side who fell to their second defeat of the season.
Bristling with confidence, Al Arabi's captain Khouki helped the Dream Team draw first blood with a well-taken header that sailed past Al Kharaitiyat goalkeeper Ahmed Soufiane on the 5th minute.
Attacker Ahmed Khalfan then doubled Arabi’s lead on the 31st minute. Khalfan - lurking to the edge of the Al Kharaitiyat box - picked up a long ball from the centre of the field and slipped past goalkeeper Soufiane who had charged out of his position.
With ball at his feet and the goalkeeper embarrassingly out of position, Khalfan charged into Al Kharaitiyat box and tapped the ball in from close range past defender Domingos to give the visitors their second goal soon after the half-hour mark.
Abdelmoula Berrabah curled in a beautifully-taken free-kick minutes before the end of the first half. However Al Arabi goalkeeper Rajab Hamza punched away the ball in a slick save close to the goal line, the first half ended 2-0 to Al Arabi.
In the second half Kharitiyat found their way back into the tie and registered their first chance of note on the hour mark. D.R Congo striker Jeremy Bokila volleyed the ball from close range but his shot missed the Al Arabi goalpost by a narrow margin much to the frustration of the forward.
Kharitiyat had the upper half for the majority of the second half yet failed to find the back of the net. Australian midfielder Erik Paartalu opted for a long-range missile from 20 yards out in the 82nd minute, which sailed wide and pretty much summed up Al Kharaitiyat's edgy performance in round three of QSL.
The Thunders where thrown a lifeline three minutes from time when Jaralla Al-Marri poked it from close range, however it proved too late for Amir Osims side as Al Arabi held out for the final minutes to register their second win of the season.
Ahli and Wakrah share the points
Al Ahli and Al Wakrah played out a 1-1 draw on Saturday evening, a result which saw Al Wakrah pick up their first points of the season.
The game came into life in the second half with Al Wakrah taking the lead through a Mouhcine Moutouali penalty on the 68th minute. Ahli found their way back into the tie just two minutes later though D.R Congo striker Firmin Mubele.
The first half was a quiet affair with few chances of real note. Al Ahli edged possession overall and Al Wakrah looked nervy on the ball at times, much to the concern of head coach Mauricio Larriera, The Blue Waves held out and the first half ended honors even at 0-0.
In the second half, Al Ahli began to dominate the ball but it was the visitors who took the lead against the run of play.
Morrocan midfielder Mouhcine Moutouali was bundeled down in the box and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Moutouali duly stepped up and confidently smashed the penalty into the top right hand corner to give the Blue Waves an unlikely lead.
However it didn’t last long, with the Brigadeers equalizing in spectacular fashion just two minutes later. A Fred Debanka cross was not correctly cleared by the Wakrah defense, and D.R Congo international Mublele produced a superb bicycle kick which sailed past keeper Hassan Idriss.
Al Ahli pushed hard for a winner and all three points however the Wakrah defense held on till the final whistle to grab their first points of the season.
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