Latest news with #Al-Gharafa
ILoveQatar.net
15-05-2025
- Sport
- ILoveQatar.net
Al Gharafa and Al Rayyan secure spots in Amir Cup 2025 semifinals
On 14 May 2025, the final set of quarterfinal matches took place. Al Gharafa faced Al Sadd at Al Thumama Stadium, while Al Rayyan took on Al Duhail at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Al Gharafa vs Al Sadd Al Gharafa has advanced to the semi-finals of the 2025 Amir Cup after defeating Al Sadd, the defending champions, 5-4 on penalties, following a 2-2 draw in both regular and extra time. The quarter-final match was held on 14 May 2025 at Al Thumama Stadium. Al Gharafa will now face Umm Salal in the semi-final. Umm Salal had also advanced after beating Al-Shamal on penalties (3-2) yesterday, following a 1-1 draw in regulation and extra time. For Al Gharafa, Joselu (Spain) and Yacine Brahimi (Algeria) both scored from the penalty spot in the 45+2 and 53rd minutes. Al Sadd's goals came from an own goal by Al-Gharafa defender Aron Gunnarsson (Iceland) in the 67th minute and a last-gasp equalizer by Boualem Khoukhi in the 90+9th minute. The match began with both sides exchanging attacking opportunities. Al Gharafa's Brahimi fired a powerful shot in the 6th minute that was saved by the goalkeeper, and Al Sadd responded with a long-range effort from Claudinho that went over the bar in the 11th. Joselu nearly scored with a header from a Brahimi cross in the 15th minute, but shortly after, the match was interrupted for about 25 minutes due to a technical issue, resulting in a long stretch of stoppage time. After play resumed, Al Gharafa dominated possession. Rodrigo Moreno had a header go over the bar in the 36th minute, and Joselu had a strong shot blocked in the 41st. A handball by Brazilian defender Paulo Otavio gave Al Gharafa a penalty, which Joselu converted in the 45+2 minute, putting his side ahead. Joselu nearly doubled the lead after receiving another pass from Brahimi, but his shot narrowly missed the post in the 45+10 minute. Al Sadd responded strongly, and Youcef Atal nearly equalized with a powerful shot, but Khalifa Abubakr, Al-Gharafa's goalkeeper, made an impressive save in the 45+16 minute, preserving the 1-0 lead at halftime. In the second half, Al Sadd pressed forward while Al Gharafa relied on a structured defense and swift counterattacks. This led to another penalty after Otأ،vio once again handled the ball in the box. Brahimi calmly converted in the 53rd minute to make it 2-0. Al Sadd missed a key chance to reduce the deficit when Claudinho’s shot was spilled by the keeper, and Rafa Mujica missed the rebound from close range in the 58th minute. Al Sadd finally pulled one back when Claudinho's free kick was inadvertently deflected into his own net by Gunnarsson in the 67th minute. With momentum on their side, Al Sadd pushed for an equalizer. Akram Afif came close in the 72nd minute, firing just over the crossbar, and a header from Mohamed Kamara missed narrowly in the 80th. Al Gharafa still threatened on the counter, and Ahmed Al-Janahi missed a golden opportunity in the 84th minute after going one-on-one with the keeper but shooting too weakly. Gunnarsson redeemed himself by clearing the ball off the line in the 90+2 minute, denying Rafa Mujica a certain goal. But in the 90+9 minute, Al Sadd finally equalized when Hassan Al-Haydos sent in a cross that Boualem Khoukhi headed into the net, forcing extra time with the score tied 2-2. Despite Al Sadd's superiority in extra time, Al Gharafa held firm defensively, and the match went to penalties. Al Gharafa emerged victorious 5-4, securing their place in the semi-finals. Full Time! Al-Sadd (2) : (2) Al-Gharafa Penalty Shootout! Al-Sadd (4) : (5) Al-Gharafa Congratulations to Al-Gharafa on advancing to #Amir_Cup Semi-Final!🏆🟡🔵 — Amir Cup 🏆 (@QFA_EN) May 14, 2025 Al Rayyan vs Al Duhail Edmilson Junior scored the first goal for Al Duhail in the 24th minute, followed by Michael Olunga, who scored the second goal in the 57th minute. Al Rayyan got on the scoreboard with a goal from Róger Guedes in the 85th minute. Róger Guedes equalized the score for Al Rayyan in the 90+8th minute. Full time ended in a 2-2 draw between Al Rayyan and Al Duhail, but Al-Rayyan triumphed 5-4 in a thrilling penalty shootout to advance to the Amir Cup semi-final! Full Time! Al-Rayyan (2) : (2) Al-Al-Duhail Penalty Shootout! Al-Rayyan (5) : (4) Al-Duhil Congratulations to Al-Rayyan on advancing to #Amir_Cup Semi-Final!🏆🔴⚫️ — Amir Cup 🏆 (@QFA_EN) May 14, 2025 RELATED:
Morocco World
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Morocco World
Ziyech Storms Off Pitch After Substitution in Qatar Cup Semi-Final
Rabat — Moroccan international Hakim Ziyech was visibly angry yesterday following his substitution during Al-Duhail's Qatar Cup semi-final match against Al-Gharafa. The Moroccan star couldn't hide his displeasure when coach Christophe Galtier replaced him with Ismail Mohamed in the 71st minute. Video footage circulating on social media shows the Moroccan international player storming off the pitch with wrinkled brows, muttering words of protest while raising his hand in frustration. Ziyech's anger didn't stop there — he kicked water bottles twice before a teammate on the bench attempted to calm him down. This outburst comes as no surprise to those familiar with Ziyech's temperament. His move to Qatar reportedly stems partly from similar incidents during his time at Galatasaray, where coach Okan Buruk reportedly benched him for comparable behavior, according to Turkish media. The 'magician' has a history of such conflicts, notably with former Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic. The two had a longstanding conflict that led the former coach to shock fans by excluding Ziyech from the national team for months despite his vital role and contribution to the squad's performance. Read also: World Cup 2022 with Morocco Remains Engraved in Hakim Ziyech's Memory Despite these behavioral issues, Ziyech remains one of Morocco's most talented players, scoring 25 goals in 64 appearances for the Atlas Lions. However, current national team coach Walid Regragui hasn't called him up since October 2024. During a press conference earlier this month, Regragui said that he can call up the Moroccan winger when he is back to his best. The Moroccan coach described Ziyech as 'a great player with real talent' who contributed a lot to the national team. 'Now he's started the last two games and is getting back to form,' Regragui added. 'When he's ready, we'll call him back because he's an important player for us.' Al-Duhail managed to advance to the Qatar Cup final after winning 4-3 on penalties, but Ziyech's latest outburst could impact his standing with the club for the remainder of the season. Tags: Al DuhailFootballHakim Ziyech
Arab Times
18-02-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Al-Ahli advances to AFC Champions League round of 16
JEDDAH, Feb 18: Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahli secured a 4-2 victory against Qatar's Al-Gharafa in the eighth and final round of the Western Region League stage in the 2024-2025 AFC Champions League for the Elite. Al-Gharafa took the lead early in the match at Al-Inma Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City with a penalty goal from Spanish striker Joselu. However, Al-Ahly responded swiftly, scoring three goals in the first half through English forward Ivan Toney, Brazilian winger Galeno, and Roberto Firmino. In the second half, Riyad Mahrez extended Al-Ahli's lead with a well-executed penalty in the 59th minute, while Yacine Brahimi pulled one back for Al-Gharafa with another penalty in the 80th minute. With this win, Al-Ahli temporarily tops the Western Region League stage standings with 22 points, securing a place in the round of 16 alongside the top eight teams. In other matches, Iraq's Al-Shorta defeated UAE's Al-Ain 2-0, Uzbekistan's Pakhtakor edged past Qatar's Al-Sadd 2-1, while Saudi Al-Nassr and Iran's Persepolis played to a goalless draw.
South China Morning Post
05-02-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Al-Hilal stay top of Asian Champions League west group as Ronaldo eyes next round
Qatar's Al-Gharafa secured a 1-0 victory over Pakhtakor in Doha on Tuesday to edge closer to a place in the knockout rounds of the Asian Champions League Elite as former champions Al-Hilal thrashed Persepolis 4-1 in Riyadh. In Monday's round of matches, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr defeated the United Arab Emirates' Al-Wasl 4-0 to cement third place in the 12-team group, which is led by Al-Hilal. Ferjani Sassi scored six minutes before halftime to earn Al-Gharafa a win that takes Pedro Martins' side up to seventh in the 12-team standings with one round remaining. The top eight from the two groups, representing West and East Asia, advance to the second round. The East Asian group resumes action next week. Iranian side Persepolis' hopes, meanwhile, suffered a blow as their heavy defeat to the current Saudi Pro League champions saw them drop out of the qualification berths. Al-Gharafa's Ferjani Sassi (left) scored the goal in his team's 1-0 win over Iran's Pakhtakor. Photo: Reuters Ismail Kartal's side now sit in ninth, behind compatriots Esteghlal on goal difference ahead of their meeting with Ronaldo's Al-Nassr in Tehran on February 17.
Reuters
04-02-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Sassi strike boosts Al-Gharafa's Asian Champions League prospects
Feb 4 (Reuters) - Qatar's Al-Gharafa secured a 1-0 victory over Pakhtakor in Doha on Tuesday to edge closer to a place in the knockout rounds of the Asian Champions League Elite as former champions Al-Hilal thrashed Persepolis 4-1 in Riyadh. Ferjani Sassi scored six minutes before halftime to earn Al-Gharafa a win that takes Pedro Martins' side up to seventh in the 12-team standings with one round remaining. The top eight in both west and east Asia qualify for the round of 16. Persepolis' hopes, meanwhile, suffered a blow as their heavy defeat to the current Saudi Pro League champions saw them drop out of the qualification berths. Ismail Kartal's side now sit in ninth, behind compatriots Esteghlal on goal difference ahead of their meeting with Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr in Tehran on Feb. 17. Malcom opened the scoring for Al-Hilal, who have already secured their place in the next round, with a solo effort 10 minutes into the game at the Kingdom Arena. The former Barcelona winger picked up possession inside his own half and, with the Persepolis defence backing off, Malcom drove deep into the visitors' territory before sidestepping a pair of defenders and scoring via the inside of the post. Joao Cancelo added the second 15 minutes later when he was granted the space to smash a low right-foot drive into the bottom corner after a weak attempted save by Alexis Guendouz. Salem Al-Dawsari rounded Guendouz to score from a tight angle seven minutes before halftime to net Al-Hilal's third and, in injury time, the captain struck from distance to claim the fourth. Giorgi Gvelesiani scored a late penalty for Persepolis. The win kept Al-Hilal in first place in the standings, ahead of compatriots Al-Ahli and Al-Nassr with Qatar's Al-Sadd in fourth and Al-Wasl of the United Arab Emirates in fifth. All five have already qualified for March's last 16.
