Al Sadd beat Al Arabi in QSL opener

Asian Champions Al Sadd rallied from a goal down to win the opening match of the Qatar Star League 2-1 against Al Arabi at the Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Stadium yesterday. Moroccan skipper Hussain Kharja provided Al Arabi with an early lead through a penalty, while Kasola Mohammed and Mamadou Niang scored a goal apiece for the winners. Seven minutes into play, Abdulaziz Abdullah al-Sulaiti was brought down by Al Sadd skipper Abdulla Obid Koni and Kharja found the back of the net with ease from the spot. Despite the early blow, Al Sadd players remained undeterred and unleashed a series of raids. They came close to scoring in the 21st minute when a measured cross from Hassan Khalid Alhaydos found the mercurial striker Khalfan Ibrahim who then set it up for the lurking Nadir Belhadji. However, Belhadji shot was well tipped over by an alert Al Arabi custodian Rajab Hamza Kassim. Al Sadd, however, managed to draw level through a free-kick in the 24th minute. Their star striker Khalfan curled the ball in and an unmarked Mohammed rose high to head home. Buoyed by the goal, Al Sadd almost got a second in the very next minute. Abdulkarim Hassan Abdulkarim made a defence-splitting run before sending in a power-packed left footer but only to see it go wide after brushing the bottom of the framework.   Minutes later, Al Sadd skipper Koni was seen handing the captain’s armband to Spanish star Raul after being forced to leave the field following an injury to his left ankle while going for a header. The hosts made it 2-1 before going into the breather with a well-crafted move. Substitute Naser Nabeel Saad, who came in place of the skipper Koni, sent in a fine cross from the left which was well chested down by Khalfan for Alhaydos who then found Mamadou Niang with a neat placement. Niang beat the rooted Al Arabi custodian Kassim with a clinical finish. Al Arabi had their share of chances after the change of ends but they failed to make the most of the opportunity. In the 53rd minute, substitute Ahmed Saleh Al-Khalfan failed to score from a goalmouth melee. He delayed his shot and eventually saw it being blocked by an Al Sadd defender. Raul, who played the entire match for Al Sadd and displayed some deft touches, too had his opportunity to get on the scoreboard in the 68th minute. After latching on to a long ball from the deep, he had the Al Arabi custodian Kassim at his mercy but his lob ended up on the side netting. In the dying minutes, Khalfan too muffed a couple of scoring opportunities with some wayward finishing. Elsewhere, a solitary goal by Julio Cesar saw Al Khor beat Al Khuraitiat 1-0. The matchwinner came in the 85th minute of play. In another match, Umm Salal defeated Al Jaish 2-0.  Othman El Assas opened the accounts through a penalty in the 35th minute, while Mahir Yousif Bakoor completed the tally in the 74th minute. From GT