Ahmed Alaaeldin struck in the extra time as Al Gharafa edged past Al Ahli 4-3 in a thrilling Amir Cup last 16 match at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Wednesday. In the quarters, Gharafa will face Umm Salal, who had defeated Al Bidaa 3-1 on Tuesday. Ahli were up 2-0 just after 21 minutes as Naim Sliti and Yazan al-Nuaimat struck in six minutes apart.
But Gharafa hit back through Fabrizio Diaz’s long-range in the 27th minute. Ahli, however, took a two-goal advantage at half time after al-Nuaimat found the net in the 39th minute. But a resilient Gharafa bounced back in stunning fashion after the break.
Farid Boulaya’s 68th-minute goal rejuvenated Pedro Martins’ side with Ferjani Sassi taking the game to extra time with an equaliser in the 83rd time. In stoppage time of first half of extra time, Qatar international Alaaeldin headed from a close range to signal wild scenes in the Gharafa camp. But they had survive anxious moments after Ahli’s Ramon Gines found the net in the 118th minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Ahmed al-Ganehi, the winger for Gharafa, expressed immense joy at their victory, emphasizing the team’s unwavering spirit despite initially trailing by two goals. He stated: “Al Ahli started the match strongly after taking the lead, taking advantage of some mistakes. However, we created numerous scoring opportunities.
Unfortunately, our lack of concentration and finishing ability cost us potential goals.” Al-Ganehi hoped that this victory would .
