Doha: Goals from Rodrigo Machado and Ferjani Sassi helped Al Gharafa to a 2-0 defeat of Al Ahli in Week 13 of the 2024-2025 season Ooredoo Stars League at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium of Al Gharafa club on Wednesday.
Machado and Sassi scored in the 35th and 56th minutes, respectively, as The Cheetahs extended their points tally to 27 points while Al Ahli remained on 25 points.
The match was predictably well contested between the two teams, who approached match day 13 with a mere point separating them—Al Ahli at 25 points and Al Gharafa at 24. For the majority of the first half, the initial minutes yielded few remarkable moments, as both sides exhibited a degree of caution, fully aware of the threats posed by their opponents, particularly if their defensive flanks were left vulnerable.
Rodrigo Machado eventually got the opener for Al Gharafa in the 35th minute after a defence-splitting inch-perfect pass from Ahmed Al Ganehi located the Brazilian, who wasted no time in lobbing the ball over the on-rushing goalkeeper Marwan Badreldin to give the fans something to cheer about.
Seydou Sano almost doubled the lead for Al Gharafa two minutes later, but his right-footed shot from more than 35 yards went just inches wide of the intended target, while Al Ahli’s Abdulrahman Fahmi Moustafa got his right-footed shot from outside the box in the 43rd minute brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar as The Cheetahs took their lead into the halftime break.
Al Gharafa’s fine run continued in the second half with their attacking force, spearheaded by Joselu, relentlessly running rings around The Brigadiers’ defence in an attempt to extend their lead.
Badreldin made a fantastic save of Yacine Brahimi’s left-footed attempt from a difficult angle in the 51st minute, but the danger could not be averted in the 57th minute when Brahimi had a darting run inside the final third of Al Ahli before laying an unexpected pass to Ferjani Sassi to finish off with a right-footed shot from the centre of the box.
Al Ahli made a raft of changes in search of a desperate goal and probably equaliser but the move made no difference to their game as Al Gharafa continued to gain ascendency, with their confidence growing minute by minute after the two goals in the bag.
Brahimi almost added a third in five minutes of added time, but Al Ahli was lucky this time around with the right-footed shot of the Algerian international from outside the box going a few inches high and wide to the left with goalkeeper Badreldin already beaten.
The move proved to be the last major action of the thrilling encounter as Al Gharafa smiled home with a win and the important three points.
