Curtains came down on Week 6 action of the 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League, held on October 20 and 21, 2023, with all four matches ending in victories.

Two matches, Al Duhail vs Al Wakrah and Al Sadd vs Al Arabi were postponed from Week 6, as was announced previously.

RESULTS

Al Markhiya bt Al Shamal         2-1

Al Gharafa bt Muaither    5-2

Al Ahli lost to Qatar SC    2-4

Umm Salal lost to Al Rayyan     0-2

A total of 18 goals were scored, with an average of 4.5 goals per match. The match between Al Gharafa and Muaither witnessed the highest number of goals being scored (seven) and Al Rayyan emerged with a clean sheet.

The round witnessed one red card (to Umm Salal defender Marouane Louadani) and five players scored two goals each – Al Markhiya’s Yusupha Njie, Yacine Brahimi of Al Gharafa, Muaither’s Jamal Mohammed, Raoul Sanda of Qatar SC and Al Ahli’s Julian Draxler.

Al Rayyan garnered 15 points and regained the top spot in the standings after scoring their fifth victory with their defeat of Umm Salal.

Al Gharafa also achieved an exciting 5-2 victory over Muaither and moved into the third position in the table and they now have the same 13 points as Al Sadd, who were absent from Week 6 action, but behind on goal difference.

 

Al Wakrah are in fourth place with 11 points, Al Duhail fifth with 10 points and Al Arabi seventh with six points.

Umm Salal remained in sixth place with eight points and Qatar SC advanced to eighth place with five points after recording their first victory of the season.

Muaither are in ninth place with four points, dropping one place, while Al Shamal and Al Ahli are placed 10th and 11th respectively with three points.

Al Markhiya remained at the bottom of the table with three points despite their victory over Al Shamal, who are still searching for their first victory this season, the only team to do so.

Al Markhiya score their first victory

Al Markhiya came from a goal down to beat Al Shamal 2-1. It was the first victory for The Oryxes in the league this season after five consecutive defeats and it came in their first match under Algerian coach Madjid Bougherra.

The first half ended 1-1 as Majed Mohammed put Al Shamal in the lead, but Al Markhiya equalized in injury time through Njie. Two minutes from time, Njie scored the winner.

 

Al Gharafa back to winning ways

Al Gharafa regained their winning form by defeating Muaither 5-2. Yohan Boli succeeded in scoring the first goal and, in the second half, Al Gharafa continued their attempts, with Dame Traore adding the second goal. Muaither thereafter reduced the deficit through Jamal Mohammed, but Farid Boulaya added the third for Al Gharafa before Brahimi got the fourth and fifth goals. Muaither’s other goal was also scored by Jamal Mohammed.

 

Qatar SC’s first victory

Qatar SC achieved their first victory of the season by defeating Al Ahli as Raoul Sanda scored for them in the fourth and 90th minutes. Bruno Tabata (16th minute) and Ben Malango (58th minute) added to the tally to raise their points to five as they moved away from the relegation zone. Al Ahli’s both goals were scored by Draxler (62nd and 66th minutes).

Al Rayyan back on top

Al Rayyan returned to the top after defeating Umm Salal in an exciting match, where the first half ended in a goalless draw. Midfielder Thiago Mendes scored for Al Rayyan in the 52nd minute and Achraf Bencharki increased his team’s lead in the 74th minute. The Lions thus settled the mission and got back to winning ways after their loss to Al Wakrah in Week 5.

Scorers list

Al Gharafa’s Algerian star Brahimi continued to top the scorers’ list with nine goals. He is followed by Al Duhail’s Michael Olunga (six goals) and Muaither’s Guy Mbenza and Al Ahli’s Naim Sliti (five goals each).