Own goal gives Al Ahli all three points (1-0)
Al Ahli ended up having to profit from an own goal to defeat Al Khor 1-0 at home tonight. Khor skipper Mostafa Jalal Jafri looked heartbroken after heading the ball into his own goal late on in the second half.

Ahli were coming into this match on the back of a 3-0 victory over Qatar Sports Club and were keen to get another win under their belts. 

Al Khor, on the other hand did well in the last Round to eke out a goalless draw against Sadd. The men from the north were looking for yet another gritty performance away from home against the Brigadiers. 

Throughout the majority of the first half Al Ahli showed more attacking prowess, creating more of the big chances in the game.

The first half ended goalless and the match was looking increasingly scrappy as neither team could find the penetration required in dangerous areas.  

Al Ahli’s Ndombe Mubele was his usual bustling self, troubling the Khor defence persistently.

In the second half Mubele had a great chance in the 55^th minute when long ball from the deep was controlled well by Meshaal Abdullah who then passed it to Mubele but the Congolese striker’s acrobatic volley went just over the bar.

Ahli were pressing but were unable to find a goal and when it did come it was solely down to an Al Khor defensive mistake.

Ahli’s Ali Ghaderi put a ball into the box for no one in particular and Al Khor’s Jafri headed the ball towards his goalkeeper, except the keeper had come out of goal and couldn’t react in time to keep the ball out of the net.

A comedy of errors that the defender will want to forget in a hurry! Al Ahli’s players couldn’t believe their luck with what was a hopefully pass into the box.

Ahli have now managed to get back to back winning ways whilst Al Khor is still languishing in the relegation zone.

The men from the north are yet to win a single game in the Qatar Stars League.



First win for Lazaroni’ Qatar Sports club with two late goals over Mesaimeer (0-2)
Qatar Sports Club’s new Head Coach Sebastião Lazaroni seems to have had an immediate impact as his team defeated Mesaimeer 2-0 away tonight.

Under their former coach Radhi Shenaishil Qatar SC had suffered five losses and eked out just one draw. The Brazilian Lazaroni who is returning for his second stint with the club seems to have stabilized the team with a win in his first game in charge. Admittedly this was a match that on paper the Kings would have hoped to have won and they did.  

Mesaimeer had registered their first win in the QSL last weekend when they defeated Kharaitiyat and they would have been keen to build on that performance. 

It was Mesaimeer who burst out of the blocks early on and were dominating possession but they couldn’t sustain the intensity and QSC slowly began to get into their stride. 

In the 17^th minute QSC’s Fadhil Said had a great chance to put his team ahead but his header was straight at the keeper. Four minutes later Mohsine Iajour had his shot saved by Mesaimeer Keeper Basel Zaidan. It looked like only a matter of time before the Torches would buckle under the pressure.

The first half ended with neither team able to score.

In the second half, parity was maintained until Mesaimeer’s Abdulrahman Samir fouled Iajour inside the box. The referee didn’t hesitate to blow his whistle and pointed to the spot. 

Qatar’s Moussa Allaq stepped up to take the penalty and had no trouble converting (76’).

Three minutes later, Mesaimeer could have had an equalizer but Erivelto Silva’s freekick was tipped just over the bar by Qatar SC keeper Mohamed Mubarak. 

In what turned out to be a busy ending to the game, Qatar club’s Said had his shot saved by Zaidan in the 81^st minute and then it was the turn of Mesaimeer keeper Mubarak’s turn to thwart Ismael Benamalem.

Then in the 92^nd minute Iajour was released by Said and the Moroccan showed his raw pace as he went on a 40 metre sprint into the box before finishing coolly to secure all three points for the Kings.

Qatar SC will be relieved to get their first win of this season whilst Mesaimeer will have to look hard at themselves and try to create more going forward.