Kebe’s goals crucial to Al Kharaitiyat QSL survival

Al Kharaitiyat endured a difficult 2015/2016 season in Amir Osim’s first full season with the Thunders. Thankfully it ended in QSL survival, but it looked shaky at times for Kharaitiyat who will be looking for better fortunes ahead of the 2016/2017 season.

Kharaitiyat’s summer business hardly inspired the fans for an exciting season ahead. The club made no changes to their professional ranks, electing to keep defender Dominigos, Hassan Abdel Fattah and Yahia Kebe for the season ahead. The first match of the season started on a bright note, with Kharaitiyat registering a 2-1 victory over eventual relegation rivals Qatar SC.

However despite that win the Thunders went on to pick up only one point from a possible fifteen in the next five games. Moral sapping defeats to Lekhwiya (7-0) and relegation threatened Meisameer (2-1) suggested it was going to be a long, hard QSL season for the club based in north Doha.

Follwing the defeat to Meismaeer, Amir Osim’s side began to turn a corner picking up seven points from fifteen. Including an impressive 2-0 win over Gharafa, along with a 2-2 draw with fellow relegation candidates Al Khor. A defeat to Al Wakrah (1-0) lead to two back to back wins against Umm Salal (3-0) and Qatar SC (3-2) which was the longest winning streak of the side this season.

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​Offensively, Kharaitiyat where relying on the attacking talents of Yahia Kebe with the big Burkina Faso striker the main source of goals for his side. He registered an impressive 15 goals this term; his largest ever tally for the Thunders.

Three straight defeats in January meant that Kharaitiyat where hovering above the relegation zone. With Qatar SC starting to claw back points, it promised to be a nervy final quarter of the season for Amir Osim and his charges.

The Thunders slowly found their feet as they became embattled in a straight relegation fight with Qatar SC. Crucial draws against Al Gharafa (1-1) and Al Khor (1-1) proved to be important results for Amir Osim, crucially adding to their goals scored tally and picking up vital points.




Perhaps their penultimate game of the season, a comprehensive 3-0 win over Al Wakrah was the defining result of Kharitiyat season. It meant that only a point against Umm Salal in the final game of the season would confirm the Thunders status in the QSL for another season.

Kharaitiyat certainly rode their luck to beat the drop on the final day. Despite being in control of their destiny, they fell to a 3-2 defeat to Umm Salal. It meant that Qatar SC just needed a win to leapfrog Kharaitiyat. Going into the final moments of Qatar SC tie against Wakrah the game was delicately poised at 1-1. Thankfully for Amir Osim’s side, Qatar SC couldn’t find a decisive winner meaning that Kharaitiyat survived relegation by goal difference.

So with some luck and the goals of Yahia Kebe Kharaitiyat avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth. The Thunders will be looking for an upturn in fortunes going into Amir Osim’s second season in charge of Al Kharaitiyat.