Al Duhail was seen as a favorite in the tournament as the team sought their second title triumph.

Al Sailiya shook fans at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Monday as the dark horses eliminated defending champions Al Duhail 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw put both teams on hold in the Amir Cup.

Advancing to the semi-finals of the illustrious tournament, Al Sailiya’s Mehrdad Mohammadi opened the scoring with a penalty that fooled the guard of Al Duhail’s goalkeeper.

The Red Knights fought back with a goal of their own as Nam Tae-hee struck an equaliser minutes before halftime.

Tied 1-1, Carlos Strandberg’s sent in a header in the 69th minute taking Al Sailiya ahead again before Al Duhail equalised another goal in stoppage.

Despite Mohammed Muntari nailing in a rescued effort, Al Duhail’s defence was absent when it mattered most at the penalty spot.

In a shocking defeat in Qatari football, the dream team of Hernan Crespo that captured the country’s attention will not be carrying on to their second title triumph.

Sitting 12th in the league, Al Sailiya will now face Al Arabi, who is second in the ranking.

The upset follows the defeat of second-division side Al Shahania as they took down Al Gharafa 4-3 on penalties to advance to the semi-finals of the Amir Cup on Sunday.

The triumph adds to coach Alvaro Mejia’s evolving resume, as it would be another win over two first-division teams so far in the season.

Tuesday will see the star-studded Al Sadd team take on Umm Salal as both teams battle it out to meet either Al Arabi or Al Shahania.