Akram Afif struck late in Al Sadd’s Qatar Clasico win in his first game as the two-time AFC Player of the Year winner.
Hours after landing in Doha with the AFC Asian Player of the Year 2023 trophy, Akram Afif came off the bench to decide the Qatar Clasico, assisting the equaliser and scoring the winner in Al Sadd’s 2-1 win over Al Rayyan on Thursday.
Felix Sanchez introduced Afif an hour into the match following a rather disappointing first half in which Al Sadd were fortunate not to concede.
The dazzling winger set up Mohammed Waad in front of goal in the 69th minute to cancel out Mahmoud Trezeguet’s goal for Al Rayyan.
The Egyptian had finished a well-paced counter-attack with a remarkable close control and then a volley to put Al Rayyan in the lead, only for Afif to steal the show later on.
Al Sadd then looked the better side for perhaps the first time in the tie with Afif leading the line alongside his longstanding partner in attack, Hassan Al-Haydos.
Afif’s goal came in the eighty-ninth minute as he played a couple of one-twos and chipped one past the goalkeeper from a tight angle, this time from a pass from Waad.
It has become so regular that it almost feels inevitable: Akram Afif scoring a winner in a crucial tie.
Al Rayyan were outdone, despite looking the better of sides overall, because of perhaps the most decisive player that Qatar has ever seen.
With the win over their arch-rivals, Al Sadd are tied on points with Al Ahli at 18 and sit second due to better goal difference, with just four points less than leaders Al Duhail.
Forwards shine as Al Gharafa defeat Al Arabi
It has been a season so turbulent that any win that comes seems premium for Al Arabi.
Except, for Pedro Martins’ Al Gharafa, the 3-1 win against them was an asserting one with the attackers rising up to the occasion.
Algerian playmaker Yacine Brahimi opened the scoring in the 21st minute at the Thani bin Jassim Stadium on Friday, after a period of dominance that ultimately resulted in 12 shots for the home team in the first half.
After the break, however, Al Arabi’s Tunisian striker Yousef Msakni found the target two minutes after the hour mark to equalise — a familiar sight for Al Gharafa, who have not been able to hold on to slender leads multiple times this season.
The stalemate, exceptionally, lasted just 15 minutes this time as Spanish striker Joselu tapped in Jamal Hamed’s pass unmarked in front of goal, following a poor defensive display from Al Arabi.
It was then another late goal from veteran Qatari striker Mohammed Muntari in the 89th minute, off Brahimi’s well-weighed cross, that sealed the tie for the Cheetahs.
With the win Al Gharafa have now climbed to the fourth place in the Ooredoo Stars League table, ahead of a crucial AFC Champions League Elite tie against Iran’s Persepolis.
Al Duhail’s dominance continues
League leaders Al Duhail found themselves on the dominating end in yet another goal fest as they beat Al Shamal 6-2 on Friday.
A brace from Almoez Ali and a goal each from Luis Alberto, Lucas Verissimo, and Michael Olunga allowed Duhail to maintain their four-point difference against second-placed Al Sadd.
Verissimo’s 11th-minute striker was doubled by Kenyan striker Olunga just 12 minutes after, and an own goal from Mohammed Musa and a late strike from captain Ali saw Duhail go into the break with a 4-1 lead at the Al Khor Stadium.
The hosts’ only goal in the first half came off Younes Belhanda’s boots in the 37th minute.
Just six minutes into the second half, Alberto made it 5-1 and although Baghdad Bounedjah scored in the 73rd minute, Al Dhuail re-stored the four-goal lead in just four minutes with Ali’s second of the night.
With that consolation goal, Bounedjah continues to lead the Golden Boot race with 10 goals in nine matches of the season so far.
Al Ahli, Al Wakrah, and Qatar SC survive late drama
The season’s revealing story perhaps is the resurgence of Al Ahli — notably the oldest club in Qatar that has struggled in mid-table for a long time and is now finding its way back.
The latest in the series of gritty performances was Al Ahli’s 2-1 win over Shahania on Friday, which sees them rub shoulders with Al Sadd at the points table, equal on points.
Marc Muniesa’s own goal put Al Ahli in the 13th minute, yet had their lead cancelled by Abdulrahman Ali Saleh’s strike in the 70th minute.
As has been the case for multiple matches this season, Igor Biscan’s side left it late to score the winner with Erik Exposito scoring in the second minute of stoppage time to steal the win.
At the Al Janoub Stadium, late goals also saw Al Wakrah win 3-0 over an Umm Salal side that finished with 10 men.
Ayoub Assal and Gelson Dala found the target in the 81st and 89th minute to add up to Aissa Laidouni’s 7th-minute strike early in the second half to give Al Wakrah their fourth win of the campaign.
Over at the Al Khor Stadium was the unfolding of another late drama as Qatar SC pulled off a brilliant winner in the sixth minute of added time against Al Khor on Thursday.
Al Khor thought they had managed to steal a point after Abdullah Al Saei scored in the 84th minute to cancel Ahmed Abdel Kader’s penalty goal scored just four minutes into the match, only for Ilyas Brimil to score the winner in the dying moments.
