(MENAFN- The Peninsula) fawad hussain |
The Peninsula
Al Duhail and Umm Salal will clash in the Ooredoo Cup final after the QNB Stars League (QSL) sides won their respective semi-finals played simultaneously in Doha yesterday.
Hernan Crespo's Al Duhail rallied to beat rivals Al Sadd 3-1 while Umm Salal shocked Al Arabi 2-1 with a late fightback, scoring the winner in stoppage time.
The final will be played on March 27 at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.
Al Duhail dominated the first half with more possession, taking four shots on target before the breather at Suheim bin Hamad Stadium.
But it was Al Sadd, who opened the scoring after Akram Afif set up a goal for Ayoub El Kaabi. The Qatari playmaker sprinted towards the box and his fine through pass made it easy for El Kaabi to beat Al Duhail goalkeeper Shehab Ellethy with a hit from near the penalty spot.
Al Duhail responded through a spectacular goal by Ferjani Sassi, who defied three Al Sadd players and fired an angular shot in the left corner leaving no chance for goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb.
The Tunisian midfielder then put Al Duhail into lead in the 55th minute with his second goal taking advantage of sloppy Al Sadd defending off a corner kick.
Al Sadd made efforts but they were denied by Al Duhail defence. In the 68th minute, Afif struck superbly from the left but a diving Al Duhail goalkeeper made a fine save as he flung to the left post.
With Al Sadd failing to score, Ismail Mohammad sealed the victory for Al Duhail finishing off beautifully from a close range after clearing a defender in 88th minute.
The victory ensured Al Duhail, who are leading the QNB Stars League standings, remain top contender to win all titles including the Qatar Cup and Amir Cup this season.
Action during the semi-final between Al Arabi and Umm Salal yesterday.
At the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Al Arabi led in best part of the match against Umm Salal after Ibrahim Kala handed them the lead in 33rd minute.
Talal El Karkouri-coached Umm Salal continued to push for a goal and finally succeeded in making a fightback with Abdellah Khafifi scoring the equaliser three minutes before time.
Yaseen Al Bakhit scored the all-important goal in sixth minute of stoppage time, leaving no chance for Younes Ali's Al Arabi to make a comeback.
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