Karim Boudiaf basks in Emir Cup glory

Doha: Karim Boudiaf is not a great goal scorer, but he did his reputation as a scorer of great goals no harm with a stunner in the Emir Cup final against Al Rayyan at the Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday.

Although Duhail had a slight territorial advantage, the game was firmly in the balance until that moment when Boudiaf picked up a loose ball outside the box, set himself up, and unleashed a beautiful right-footer that curled away from Omar Barry and into the top right corner of the Rayyan goal.

"This is a game that will always stay in my memory, because of that goal and also I played pretty well," said an elated Boudiaf, the stand-in captain. 

"We deserved the title and I feel very happy. Rayyan reached the final for the second straight time and put up a strong challenge. But we never panicked and did not lose our balance. Even though they scored an equaliser we always believed in our capacity to come back and score again," said the Qatar international midfielder.

"This victory means that we finished the season without losing a match in any of the big competitions.

"The secret of our string performance is that we have a very beautiful atmosphere in our team and good understanding between the players," said Boudiaf. 

Meanwhile, it was yet another story of heartbreak and lost opportunity for Rayyan's influential captain Rodrigo Tabata.

"I think our team make a good job but they had some moments better than us," said a disappointed Tabata.

"I think it was a repeat of last season – no last-minute goal – but we missed a chance and next minute they scored from a counter attack. We tried to draw level again but we missed chances and it was not possible," he said.

"Congratulations to them for the great season and I hope they continue to do well in the Champions League."