Qatar- El Jaish lose but still on top

4/20/2016 1:15:26 AM

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Iran’s Tractorsazi Tabriz player Shojae Khalilzadeh kicks the ball as Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal club player Nawaf Alabid watches on during their Asian Champions League group C football match played at the Qatar Sports Club Stadium in Doha yesterday. Tractorsazi Tabriz won 2-0.

Doha: Qatar Stars League Club El Jaish went down to visiting Al Ahli who kept their hopes of a place in the knockout phase of the AFC Champions League alive with an emphatic 4-1 win at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha yesterday.

Eslam Sarraj and Muhannad Asiri gave Christian Gross’ side a two-goal lead at half time before El Jaish’s star striker from Morocco Abderrazzaq Hamedallah successfully reduced the deficit six minutes into the second half. However further goals from Motaz Hawsawi and Sarraj ensured Al Ahli claim their second win in the group stage of AFC Champions League and carry away all three points.

Despite the defeat Sabri Lamouchi’s side was guaranteed top spot earlier in the day when Al Ain failed to defeat Nasaf with the 1-1 draw ensuring El Jaish could not be knocked off the summit while also allowing Al Ahli to close the gap between themselves and the club from the United Arab Emirates to just one point.

Al Ahli took the lead in the 22nd minute when Giannis Fetfatzidis’ corner from the right was glanced towards the six-yard box by Mohammed Al Fatil and Sarraj netted with a right-foot shot.

Another corner from Greek international Fetfatzidis delivered the second goal two minutes before the break when the 25-year-old’s centre was met by Asiri and his header gave El Jaish goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar no chance.

El Jaish had carried a threat of their own throughout the opening 45 minutes with Romarinho and Hamedallah both causing problems for the Al Ahli defence but neither was able to make an impact on the scoreboard until six minutes after the restart.

That was when Hamedallah halved the deficit when he rolled the ball into an empty net after Mohamed Methnani’s earlier effort had come back off the post to leave the Moroccan with the simplest of finishes.

Hawsawi however put Al Ahli two goals clear again just one minute later when he directed Marquinho’s corner home and in the 59th minute Sarraj claimed his second of the game with a close-range finish after being put through on goal by Mansour Al Harbi.

El Jaish defender Yasir Isa was sent off in the dying minutes for a second bookable offence when he hauled down Sarraj in the penalty area but Asiri’s weak penalty was saved by Ababacar and Sarraj could not convert the rebound.

The Peninsula

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