Mohanad Ali starred with two goals as Al Sailiya beat Al Gharafa 4-2 in Week 5 of the QNB Stars League at the Al Ahli Stadium yesterday. Ali scored in the 5th and 71st minutes, while Mohamed Mudather (45+3) and Ahmed Hammoudan (60th minute) found the net once each for Sailiya. Muad Hassan (26th minute) and Jonathan Kodjia (35th minute) found the target for Al Gharafa.
Sailiya and Gharafa are now on seven and nine points respectively. The fast-paced game saw high drama from start. The teams matched each other ball for ball. Al Sailiya started the scoring act, with Mohanad being spot-on after he was put through by Mudather.
The Iraqi striker evaded the marking of Al Gharafa defender Hector Moreno before shooting the ball home. Al Gharafa fought back and struck twice. Both goals had individual brilliance written on them.
Muad fired home a free-kick with precision as Sailiya goalkeeper Amine Lecomte could not move much on his line. Kodjia then found the target with almost a solo effort.
The first-half injury time saw Mudather turn the scorer, with Mohanad doing the spadework, in what was a role reversal. Ahmed Hammoudan, who switched from Al Khor to Sailiya along with Tiago Bezerra at the start of this season, missed a chance in the 39th minute as he shot over the bar.
There was no respite for action in the second half as well. After Kodjia’s header was saved with difficulty by Lecomte in the 55th minute, Al Sailiya scored twice more. Hammoudan nodded home from close a faulty headed clearance by Homam Elamin off Tiago’s cross on the hour mark. Mohanad then pounced on the ball after Al Gharafa defender Almahdi Ali failed to control it given to him in the form of a short thrown pass by goalkeeper Qasim Burhan and slotted the ball home.
As the game neared its end, Hammoudan and Al Gharafa’s Ahmed Alaaeldin hit their shots against the left upright and Al Sailiya cruised to victory.
Tiberkanine’s strike sinks Al Khor
In a late match, Rachid Tiberkanine strike six minutes from the final whistle helped Al Kharaitiyat edge past Al Khor 2-1. Mohamed Osman had put Kharaitiyat ahead at the stroke of half time before Al Khor new recruit Giannis Fetfatzidis equalised in the 55th minute.
But Tiberkanine’s goal in the 84th minute helped promoted side Al Kharaitiyat to their second win this season.
Al Khor, who remained on three points, could not repeat their performance that helped them hold formidable Al Sadd goalless on their home turf a week ago. Just when it looked like the first half would end goalless, came Al Kharaitiyat’s goal through Osman, whose snap shot beat Al Khor goalkeeper Baba Djibril as his shot took a deflection off Anas Ahmed and into the goal.
Al Kharaitiyat’s Evans Mensah twice and Tiberkanine once were off-target in the first half, while the efforts of Al Khor’s Helal Mohammed, Leonardo de Souza and Giannis did not bear fruits.
Al Khor managed to equalise 10 minutes into the second half as Giannis was set up with a header by Leonardo with a header following a long ball.
Mensah continued his impressive ways even as Tiberkanine netted the winner towards the end after taking advantage of a loose ball. Osman played his part in the goal as the swift move was initiated by him.
Al Sailiya’s Mohanad Ali (centre) celebrates after scoring against Al Gharafa in the QNB Stars League at the Al Ahli Stadium yesterday.
