Al Ahli and Al Gharafa played out a 1-1 draw in Week 15 of the 2019-20 QNB Stars League at the Al Ahli Stadium on Thursday.
Ahmed Alaaeldin put Al Gharafa ahead in the 66th minute, while Shane Lowry helped Al Gharafa draw level in the 71st minute.
Al Ahli now have 18 points and Al Gharafa 25.
Al Ahli played with 10 men from the 23rd minute after Jasem Mohammed was red-carded by referee Meshari Ali Al Shammari for his foul on Al Gharafa’s onrushing player Ahmed Alaaeldin.
Al Gharafa had more of the ball in the first half, but Al Ahli created more opportunities.
Al Gharafa’s injured trio of Hector Moreno, Koo Ja-Cheol and Sofiane Hanni were back in action, but they could not do much.
Al Gharafa’s Koo headed wide narrowly and Homam Elamin sent a booming shot straight to goalkeeper Ivanildo Rodriguez.
At the other end, captain Nabil El Zhar and Abdulrahman Mohammed led Al Ahli’s charge.
After a barren first half, A Gharafa upped the ante in the second. Ahmed Alaaeldin found the mark after being set up by Jonathan Kodjia following a through pass.
Lowry’s equaliser came off a cross from the right by Abdulrasheed Umaru.
It was the second time in successive weeks that Al Ahli and Al Gharafa were facing off as the former beat the latter 1-0 in the Ooredoo Cup quarterfinals.
The Brigadiers had also reached the Amir Cup quarterfinals by beating Qatar SC 2-1 two weeks ago.
The Cheetahs had bowed out of the Amir Cup in the pre-quarterfinal stage after losing 0-1 to Second Division side Al Markhiya before they suffered the setback in Ooredoo Cup, where they were two-time defending champions.
Al Gharafa had beaten Al Ahli 3-1 in the first leg of 2019-20 QNB Stars League.
Source: qsl.qa