Al Arabi beat Al Shahania to extend stay at top
Doha, Qatar: Al Arabi maintained their top spot in the Qatar Stars League with 2-1 victory against Al Shahania on Thursday.
High-flying Arabi had to withstand tough resistance from Shahania who have lost all four of their matches so far and needed an 89th-minute goal from Mohammed Salah Elneel to take all three points.
Arabi now have 10 points from four games.
Al Gharafa also have 10 points after a 3-1 victory against Al Ahli.
Earlier, Al Neel agave al Arabi the lead in the eighth second with a freak goal following an error from Shahania goalkeeper Khalifa Nasser Al Dosari.
Shahania players were not even settled when a long ball from Morteza Pouraliganji pitched inside the box and bounced over an advancing Al Dosari leaving Al Neel with the simple task of a tap in.
Arabi, coached by Heimir Hallgrímsson, are one of the in-form teams, but Shahania did not allow that mistake to ruin their game.
They fought hard and got the reward in the 74th when Aaron Gunnarsson grabbed Ramin Rezaeian’s hand during a corner and referee Meshari Ali Al Shamari pointed to the spot after checking with VAR.
Rezaeian took the kick and send Gregory Gomis the wrong way to make it 1-1
Yusuf Abdurisag then had big chance to give Arabi the lead again, but Al Dosari atoned for his earlier error with a fine finger-tip save.
When it looked like Arabi’s stay at the top would end this week, Nigel De Jong took too long to clear the ball allowing Hamdi Harbaoui to hit a dangerous ball across the six-yard box.
Although Lasogga Pierre Michelle missed his shot, Elneel was at the right place to put the ball in the net.
Arabi play Al Sadd next week.
In the second match on Thursday, Al Gharafa rallied from a goal down to beat Al Ahli.
Ahli took the lead in the 11th minute through Abdeirahman Moustafa but Gharafa equalised through Sofianne Hanni in the 47th.
Ahli were down to 10 men in the 73rd minute when Mohammed Abdulnaser Alabbasi got his marching orders and Gharafa made full use of their numerical advantage with two quick goals from Ahmed Alaaeldin (76th, 77th) to ensure all three points.
