The battle for QSL survival looks certain to go down until the final weekend of the season.

Mesaimeer’s demotion was confirmed weeks ago after a miserable maiden campaign in the top division of Qatari football. The question now is which team will join them in the Qatar Gas League next season?

After the weekend games, it appears to be a two-horse race for survival. The pundits will tell you one of Qatar Sports Club or Al Kharaitiyat will face the dreaded drop. However, Al Wakrah, Al Khor and Al Ahli all remain in danger of relegation and will be desperate to grab the points required to confirm their QSL spot as quickly as possible.

QSC currently occupy the second relegation place. The Kings have amassed 22 points from 23 matches and have tough fixtures to come in the final three rounds. Sebastiao Lazaroni’s men must face El Jaish, Al Gharafa and Al Wakrah – a run-in which looks difficult on paper when compared to Al Kharaitiyat’s.



The one thing QSC have is momentum. Since returning from the winter break they have lost just once in eight games, a run which included consecutive victories against Al Sadd, Al Ahli and Mesaimeer. A 3-1 defeat to fellow strugglers Al Khor halted the winning streak but QSC followed that result with a morale-boosting draw against champions Al Rayyan.

The Thunders, on the other hand, have struggled of late and are only a single point ahead of QSC. Since the winter break Amar Osim’s men have recorded just a single victory, and that came against lowly Mesaimeer. Draws have come against Al Ahli, Al Arabi and Al Gharafa – results which prove Kharaitiyat are capable of defending well on their day. However, they now need to perform with the pressure on, and with fixtures against Al Khor, Al Wakrah and Umm Salal to come, Kharaitiyat will need every ounce of their resolve to retain their QSL status.

Key players

The key man for QSC could be Argentine midfielder Emiliano Vecchio. The January transfer window signing from Colo Colo has scored four goals in eight games since his arrival, including a vital brace in the win over Al Sailiya, the only goal of the game against Al Sadd and a late equaliser against Umm Salal.

South Korean international Kook Young Han could also prove to be a key player for QSC. The 25-year-old defensive midfielder has chipped in with vital goals during the run-in and will be expected to marshal his colleagues during the final few games.

For Kharaitiyat, Yahia Kebe must keep up his excellent scoring form in the final three games. The Burkina Faso international has grabbed 15 goals already this season, including a brace when the Thunders defeated QSC 3-2 back in December.



Another key man for Kharaitiyat could be Qatari striker Abdulaziz Al-Ansari. The 24-year-old is expected to cover for star striker Hassan Abdel-Fattah in the next few weeks through injury. Amir Osim will be hoping the former Al Rayyan man will be amongst the goals for the relegation run-in.
 

Although Kharaitiyat have the easier looking fixtures, QSC’s momentum cannot be underestimated. They’ve enjoyed top-six form since the turn of the year and will be desperate to pull off the great escape.

The challenge for Kharaitiyat is to at least match the Kings’ results. Do that, and they’ll be certain of survival. It promises to be a fascinating final few weeks. Expect this battle to go down to the final few minutes of a thrilling QSL season.