(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Fawad Hussain |The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: Al Wakrah set up a thrilling Amir Cup quarter-final showdown against Al Sadd after edging Muaither 5-4 on penalties following a 3-3 draw in an epic clash at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium yesterday.
Record 18-time champions Al Sadd had earlier overcame a late Al Markhiya fightback for a 3-2 win in the Round of 16, while Al Rayyan cruised to the last eight stage with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Al Khor. The Lions will meet Qatar SC in the quarter-final.
Substitute goalkeeper Omair Al Sayed was the hero for Al Wakrah – the newly-crowned Qatar Cup champions – blocking Hugo Gomes and Jamal Hamed's shots during the shootout after Al Wakrah came under pressure following Hamdy Fathy's failed attempt.
Al Wakrah's clash with Al Sadd will be a rematch of their Qatar Cup semi-final where the Blue Wave downed the Wolves on penalties after Omair's heroics.
Muaither's Denis Alibekov had taken the match to shootout after converting a penalty in the 115th of the match following Mohamed Benyettou's spot kick in seventh minute of extra time that regained the lead for Al Wakrah.
Muaither had taken the match to extra time with a last-gasp equaliser through Abdulghani Muneer as both the sides were locked 2-2 in regulation time.
Earlier, Denis Alibekov put Muaither into lead in 22nd minute and the Blue Wave were only able to make a comeback following a howler by Muaither's Muattaz Majed, who put the ball into his own net in 58th minute before Benyettou made it 2-1 with a header in 80th minute.
Earlier at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium, Baghdad Bounedjah headed Al Sadd's first goal in 17th minute connecting Akram Afif's corner kick with Paulo Otavio giving the Wolves a two-goal cushion with a chip in the left corner in 34th minute.
Rodrigo Moreno celebrates after scoring Al Rayyan's second goal. Pic: Mohamed Farag / The Peninsula
Abdullah Al Yazedi seemed to have finished the match at one-hour mark with a header but Al Markhiya gave Al Sadd a late scare with Idriss Fettouhi firing a clinical left-footed free kick to beat the wall and keeper Meshaal Barsham in 84th minute.
Substitute Noufel Benis brought Al Markhiya close with a low drive into the far corner in 88th minute but Al Sadd held on to advance to the quarter-finals.
“We are happy to win this match and now we will focus on the quarter-final with hope to continue our march in this special tournament,” Al Sadd's Al Yazedi, whose goal proved to be the difference, said after the match.
“I am happy to score a goal and help in my team's victory.”
Meanwhile, Al Rayyan proved too good for Second Division champions Al Khor with Roger Guedes taking them ahead with a spot kick in the 19th minute at Al Janoub Stadium.
Rodrigo Moreno's brilliant backheel goal off Bassam Al Rawi's cross five minutes later gave Al Rayyan a two-goal lead.
Khaled Radwan reduced the lead for Al Khor in 63rd minute following a corner kick but Al Rayyan responded strongly with Rodrigo Tabata scoring their third goal from near the penalty spot in 79th minute.
Guedes completed his brace in 83rd minute wrapping up a dominant victory for the Lions.
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