Staff Reporter
Doha: The penultimate round of the Qatar Furjan League 2025/2026 produced thrilling encounters and major twists in both the title race and the battle for qualification to the Qatar Furjan Cup 2026, setting the stage for a decisive final round with all possibilities still open.
The round opened on Saturday evening with Al Ruwais claiming a dominant 4-0 victory over Umm Qarn in an impressive display. Yousif Ali Al Sulaiti broke the deadlock in the 27th minute of the second half before Umm Qarn’s Mohammed Nafea Al Sheibi inadvertently doubled the advantage with an own goal eight minutes later. Abdulrahman Jibry Al Yahri added the third goal in the 42nd minute, while Hamad Ahmed Hussain completed the rout during stoppage time.
Al Sakhama also delivered a commanding performance after defeating Hazm Al Markhiya 5-1. Turki Khaled Al Karbi handed Al Sakhama an early lead in the sixth minute before Abdul Latif Hassan Al Ishaq extended the advantage shortly after the restart in the 28th minute. Zakaria Oqba Abbasi pulled one back for Hazm Al Markhiya in the 30th minute, but Al Sakhama quickly regained control as Faisal Ali Al Hassan scored the fourth goal in the 33rd minute. Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani later added another goal before goalkeeper Mame Boub capped the emphatic win from the penalty spot in stoppage time.
One of the biggest surprises of the round came in the final match on Saturday as Al Khissa edged Al Nasr 3-2 to secure only their third victory of the season.
Al Nasr made a flying start through Khalifa Salah Al Abdullah, who opened the scoring in the fourth minute. However, Al Khissa responded strongly with two quick goals from Khaled Ali Al Yafei in the 10th minute and Abdulaziz Abdullah Al Yafei two minutes later. Khalifa Salah restored parity for Al Nasr shortly afterwards to leave the sides level at the break. In the second half, Khaled Ali Al Yafei struck again to secure a valuable win for Al Khissa.
Action continued on Sunday evening with two highly anticipated clashes, most notably the dramatic 2-2 draw between league leaders Al Maida and Al Qalayel, a result that postponed Al Maida’s title celebrations until the final round.
Al Qalayel started brightly, taking a two-goal lead through Abdulhadi Moajab Al Dosari in the eighth minute and Ahmed Mohammed Al Riyashi just two minutes later. Al Maida responded through Faisal Fareed Al Abdullah in the 18th minute to reduce the deficit before the break.
In the second half, Al Maida intensified the pressure and eventually found the equaliser through Saif Abdullah Al Marikhi in the 32nd minute. The closing stages produced end-to-end action, with Al Qalayel nearly snatching victory late on, only for Al Maida’s goalkeeper to deny a dangerous attempt in the dying moments.
Al Maida had entered the match knowing that victory would officially secure the league title ahead of the final round, but the draw kept the championship battle alive following Umm Al Jamajim’s hard-fought 2-1 victory over Al Hilal earlier in the evening.
Mohammed Salah Al Nile opened the scoring for Umm Al Jamajim in the 25th minute before Nawaf Ahmed Ashbeeh doubled the lead in the 39th minute. Al Hilal reduced the deficit through Zayed Ghazni Khan from a direct free kick in the 42nd minute, but Umm Al Jamajim held on to claim three crucial points.
Attention now shifts to the decisive final round, where Umm Al Jamajim will face Al Sakhama in a must-win encounter, while Al Maida will meet Al Nasr in a crucial showdown that could deliver Al Maida’s first-ever league title with a victory.
At the same time, Umm Al Jamajim remain hopeful of capturing the title for the first time should Al Maida fail to win.
The race for qualification to the Qatar Furjan Cup 2026 is also intensifying, with Al Ruwais and Hazm Al Markhiya battling to avoid the playoff positions. Teams finishing eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh in the standings will enter qualification playoffs for the tournament.
The draw ceremony for the Qatar Furjan Cup 2026 is scheduled to take place immediately after the league’s closing ceremony in the presence of representatives from participating teams, marking the beginning of the prestigious competition following a remarkable season filled with excitement and fierce competition until the very end.
