Solid season of improvement for GharafaFifth placed Al Gharafa is the next side under the spotlight as we look at the progress of the teams in the QSL over the course of the season. The Cheetahs had a shaky start to the league after losing their first two games. This included a 5-4 defeat at the hands of Lekhwiya which underlined their defensive frailties.
However the Cheetahs quickly found their mojo and went on an eight-match undefeated streak with six wins and two draws. This included a dominant 4-2 win over rivals Al Arabi, which has to go down as one of the most complete performances of the season for Pedro Caixina’s boys.
Al Gharafa made estute signings in the summer, which transformed the side. These came in the form of South Korean midfielder Kooky Han from Qatar Sports Club and Ghanaian defender Rashid Soumaïla. Caixinha also brought in a number of young players into the squad including Othman Alawi, Abdulghani Munir, Abdul Rahman Fayez Al- Rashidi, and goalkeeper Yusuf Hassan. These players added strength within the team as they worked alongside experienced players like Fahad Al Shammari, Lawrence Quaye, and Abdulaziz Hatem.
Gharafa dropped off the top four pace in December, as the Cheetahs struggled to get points against lower ranked opposition, registering five wins in 13 matches starting from round 11.
Portuguese tactician Pedro Caixinha, had a tremendous impact on the team as he improved their position in the table and introduced a fiercer more entertaining style of play by bringing in younger players into the side.
Caixinha’s tactical skills caught the of Scottish side Rangers who swooped for the Gharafa coach in March. Caretaker boss Habib Sadeq replaced Caixinha for the final three games of the season, picking up just one win.
With the season ending, Gharafa management moved quickly to secure a new coach for the 2017/2018 season eventually picking former Al Khor boss Jean Fernandez. The veteran French coach will now be charged with further invigorating this young Gharafa side and pushing them back into top four contentions.
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