(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
Fawad Hussain
|
The Peninsula
Doha: Umm Salal advanced to the semi-finals of the QSL Cup with a commanding 2-0 victory over Al Rayyan at Grand Hamad Stadium yesterday.
The defending champions will now face Al Arabi in a rematch of last season's final, where Umm Salal triumphed in a dramatic penalty shootout to clinch their maiden title.
Anthony Hudson's Al Arabi cruised to the semi-finals after defeating Al Shamal 3-0 following a second-half onslaught yesterday.
Al Rayyan started brightly creating several chances but Umm Salal defended resolutely, keeping them at bay in the first half. A golden opportunity came for Al Rayyan's Khaled Ali Binsabaa after a swift charge in the 31st minute but his effort was parried by a defender.
Umm Salal responded strongly taking the lead in the 43rd minute when Marouane Louadni headed a Naim Abdulrazaq Al Aidouni free kick into the top corner of the net.
Al Rayyan pushed for an equaliser but struggled to find accuracy in the final third, rarely troubling Umm Salal goalkeeper Landing Badji. In contrast, Umm Salal continued to threaten keeping Al Rayyan keeper Fahad Younis busy.
The game was sealed in the 71st minute when captain Victor Lekhal, left unmarked, headed home a precise cross from close range.
“We are on track for our second straight title and we will do our best to win it,” Umm Salal player Adil Alwi said after the match.
“We'll prepare well for the semi-finals but now our focus shifts to the Ooredoo Stars League match against Al Ahli.”
Earlier at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium, Isaac Lihadji opened the scoring for Al Arabi in the 54th minute with a powerful strike after clearing a defender. Three minutes later, Youssef Msakni doubled the lead, finishing from close range following a low cross from Rodriguez Sanchez.
Ghanim Al Sulaiti rounded off the win in the 73rd minute with a low shot on the rebound after Ahmed Alaaeldin's header struck the bar.
Seeking their maiden QSL Cup title, Al Arabi have now reached the semi-finals for the sixth time.
On Friday, Al Duhail and Al Wakrah secured semi-final berths with quarter-final victories. Al Wakrah triumphed 3-1 over Al Ahli while Al Duhail narrowly defeated Al Khor 2-1 setting up another exciting semi-final clash.
The semi-finals will be played on December 13.
MENAFN17112024000063011010ID1108894212
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.