(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Muaither came from two goals behind to secure a vital point to boost their relegation hopes with a 2-2 draw against Al Gharafa at the Qatar Stars League yesterday. Pedro Caixina's side raced into a two goal lead thanks to Rashid Sumaila and Kooky Han before being pegged back in the second half as Muaither got the points through Bruno Aguiar and Nasser al-Nassr.
Gharafa looked like the better side in the early exchanges and eventually broke the Muiather resistance on the 37th minute of the game. A well worked free-kick routine fell to midfielder Kooky Han, who drilled the ball across the penalty area and found Rashid Sumaila who knocked the ball home from close range.
Pedro Caixina's side where in the ascendancy and two minutes later duly doubled their lead though South Korean midfielder Kooky Han.
A corner was not dealt with by the Muaither defence and the ball came back into the box and fell to Han, who nodded the ball into the goal which was cleared o by Basil Zedan. However the goal was rightly given by the assistant referee as the ball went over the line. The first half ended 2-0 in favour of Al Gharafa.
Phillipe Birol's side came out in the second half with renewed vigour and looked to cut down Al Gharafa's lead. On the 51st minute Iraqi international Ahmed Yasin, who was replacing leading scorer Alain Dioko in the the side curled a shot from outside the area which skipped just wide.
Muaither found their way back into the game moments later when Gharafa defender Rashid Somalia tackled Minori Sato in the area and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Defender Bruno Aguiar stepped up and scored his first goal of the season, calmly slotting the ball past Yusef Hassan.
Growing in confidence, Muaither began to pushing their opponents, dominating the play and the ball without really troubling the Al Gharafa defence. That all changed however on the 71st minute when substitute Nasser al-Nassr grabbed an equaliser with a cross come shot which sailed past Yusef Hassan.
Both sides looked for a winner and spurned a host of chances in the final ten minutes of the tie.On the 83rd minute Johnson Kendrick drew a good save from Muaither keeper Basil Zedan to deny the Gharafa substitute a late winner.
Whilst Muaither Striker Ahmed Yassen missed a perfect opportunity to give Muaither the winner after being put through one on one with keeper Yusef Hassan. Unfortunately the Iraq international smacked the ball well wide. The result means that Muaither secured their second draw in as many games and closed the gap on thirteenth placed Al Wakrah.
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