Al Wakrah and Al Rayyan shared points following a pulsating 1-1 draw in Week 2 of the 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League at the Khalifa International Stadium on Friday.

Nasser Al Yazidi (43rd minute) scored for Al Wakrah, while Al Rayyan managed to equalize through substitute Tameem Mansour Al Abdullah in stoppage time (90+2), much to the delight of their French coach Laurent Blanc.

After the final whistle, a beaming Blanc hugged his Al Wakrah counterpart Marquez Lopez.

This was the second successive draw for Al Rayyan who were held 2-2 by Umm Salal in Week 1, whereas Al Wakrah had lost 0-1 to Al Arabi.

Early in the match, Al Rayyan’s Hashem Ali produced a powerful shot from the edge of the box, but Al Wakrah goalkeeper Saoud Al Khater blocked the trajectory of the ball.

Al Wakrah, however, kept their pressure on Al Rayyan with sustained attacks. In the 21st minute, Mohamed Benyettou managed a missile from outside the box. The ball smashed into the Al Rayyan crossbar and bounced back.

In the 23rd minute, Al Rayyan striker Yohan Boli, after receiving an open cross from the centre, missed his target despite having time and space to shoot straight into the net with only Al Wakrah keeper Al Khater to beat.

Five minutes on, Boli wasted another chance to score, this time from close range.

Al Rayyan skipper Abdulaziz Hatem charged into the Al Wakrah box and his rather feeble shot beat keeper Al Khater, but the ball sailed past the goalpost to his right in the 32nd minute.

Close to half-time whistle, Al Wakrah’s Al Yazidi missed a shot at goal, but soon afterwards made up for it by finding the net. After a goalmouth melee, he aimed for the goal from close range and the ball went in off a deflection.

In the 68th minute, Boli aimed at the goal from close range, but the Al Wakrah custodian blocked the shot with a move.

Al Wakrah’s Khaled Muneer also missed a similar close-range shot in the 77th minute.

However, Tameem saved Al Rayyan’s blushes deep into the game by deflecting a cross from Khaled Muftah into the net from close range.