A clinical display from El Jaish saw them clinch victory over Al Kharaitiyat 2-1 away. Both Jaish and Kharaitiyat had something to prove when they faced each other today. Jaish needed to get back to winning ways having managed two draws in their three matches. Kharaitiyat, on the other hand, had to show that their humiliating 7-0 loss to Lekhwiya was a one-off. 

It was Jaish who burst out of the blocks. In the sixth minute, Kharaitiyat defender Domingos Santos failed to clear his lines as the ball fell kindly to Romarinho and the Brazilian fired in an unstoppable strike into the top right corner of the net to give his team the lead. Such was the power of the shot that Kharaitiyat keeper Ahmed Sufiyan, at full stretch, could not get his hand to it in time.

Jaish were looking dominant and were more threatening but then Yasir Abu-Bakr Isa became the culprit as he conceded a foul inside the box and the referee had no choice as he pointed to the spot. Al Kharaitiyat’s Yahia Kebe stepped up to take the shot and calmly converted it to help the Thunders get back on level terms.

Kharaitiyat might not always have the most potent attack or flair but under Head Coach Amar Osim they have gotten a name for themselves as a hardworking and organised unit.  This was more visible today as they looked to put the 7-0 thrashing behind them.

Osim had said during the pre-match press conference that he wanted his team to play a “normal game”. And the gritty Kharaitiyat of last season was on display against Jaish as they made life tough for the visitors with a prolonged period of sustained pressure.

However Sabri Lamouchi’s men were patient and waited for their moment to arrive and it did in the 62^nd minute. The ball was crossed into the box from a corner and the unmarked Abderrazak Hamdallah headed it in comfortably. The Kharaitiyat defence was caught napping this time around.

Kharaitiyat will be happy with this performance but Jaish were simply better and deserved the three points overall.