Doha: Al Duhail booked their place in the semi-finals of the 2024-2025 season QSL Cup after defeating Al Khor 2-1 in the opening quarterfinal at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium of Al Gharafa Club on Friday.
The Red Knights goals were scored by Ibrahima Diallo (18th minute) and Mohamed Emad Aiash (66th minute), while Adil Rhaili scored Al Khor’s lone but brilliant goal in the 80th minute.
Al Duhail, the top-placed team from Group A, was expectedly the dominant side from the start, and they kept their opponents’ defensive line on their toes with their profound attacking display for most of the match.
Unsurprisingly, the Red Knights drew the first blood in the 18th minute through Diallo, whose powerful angle shot, after some sublime interchange between the trio of Benjamin Bourigeaud, Abdullah Al Ahrak, and the goal scorer, caught Al Khor’s goalkeeper Ali Nader Mahmoud somewhat by surprise as he could only watch the blazing shot sailing past him into the net.
Al Khor almost got their equalizer in the 43rd minute after some splendid moves by Sofiane Hanni, who got past four of Al Duhail’s defence before setting up Salmin Atiq to finish off, but the Qatari player disappointedly blasted wide.
Al Duhail started the second half from where they stopped, with goalkeeper Mahmoud having to come off his line to make a daring save in the 52nd minute with Al Duhail’s Under-17 player Mohannad Jamil Babli in a good stead to fire home a goal.
With Al Duhail’s relentless bombardment of Al Khor’s goal, it was soon a matter of time before another goal was scored, and this came about in the 66th minute with Aiash nodding home from close range a cross from Bourigeaud as Al Duhail went two goals up.
Atiq wasted arguably Al Khor’s best chance of the night in the 79th minute when he found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Bautista Burke, only for him to waste the sitter, shooting straight into the goalkeeper’s arms.
One minute later, Rhaili scored an undisputed goal-of-the-tournament contender with his superb long-range shot from the centerline that left Burke, who had gone off his line, with an egg in his face as Al Khor got one back.
Despite a late rally from Al Khor, Al Duhail maintained their stand as they advanced into the semi-finals with their 2-1 victory.
