Al Sailiya officially finished 11th in the 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League after defeating Al Gharafa 3-2 in Week 22 (final round) at the Al Ahli Stadium on Thursday.

Al Sailiya will take on Second Division runners-up Al Kharaitiyat in the Relegation Play-Off at the Thani bin Jassim Stadium of Al Gharafa club on Saturday, 19th March, 2022. The kick-off is at 18:30.

Al Sailiya raised their points tally to 16, the same as Al Khor who beat Qatar SC 1-0 in a simultaneous kick-off. But The Peregrines secured the 11th spot on better goal difference (-19 as against Al Khor’s -25) and the latter got relegated.

Mohammed Salah El Neel (16th minute), Mohammed Mudathir (24th minute) and Driss Fettouhi (76th minute) scored for Al Sailiya.

Cheick Diabate (second minute) and Ahmed Alaaeldin (45+1) scored for Al Gharafa, who finished their campaign in fifth position with 30 points.

Al Gharafa had beaten Al Sailiya 3-0 in the first leg of 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League.

Both teams fought it out hard right throughout, Al Sailiya to avoid relegation and Al Gharafa to finish among the top four.

Al Gharafa were more aggressive in the beginning and they took the lead early, even before the rivals had settled down, through Diabate.

Al Gharafa’s Gabriel Perez’s free-kick from just outside the box was parried away by Al Sailiya goalkeeper Claude Amine in the seventh minute. And Al Sailiya’s Ahmed Al Minhali effected a goalline save off a shot from the resultant corner kick.

Al Sailiya pulled up their socks and settled into their stride in no time. They equalised through El Neel, who rose above his marker Amro Seraj and headed in the ball.

The Peregrines shot ahead after eight minutes through Mudathir, who placed home a pass after the ball rebounded off the right upright following El Neel’s shot.

Alaaeldin helped Al Gharafa draw parity in first-half injury time with a header off a cross from the left by Saifeldeen Fadlalla.

After an exchange of passes at the start of second half, action hotted up gradually.

Al Sailiya brought in Cergio Strandberg and Dostonbek Khamdamov to sharpen their attack and they did gain an upper hand.

Fettouhi scored to give them the lead again with a long-range shot that gave Al Gharafa goalkeeper Yousef Hassan no chance.

Al Sailiya’s Majdi Siddique was given the marching orders in stoppage time.