Al Sadd's Santi Cazorla vies for the ball with an Al Arabi player during yesterday's match.
Doha: Al Rayyan defeated Al Kharaitiyat 2-0 in their QNB Stars League Week 6 clash at the Al Khor Stadium yesterday.
Abdulaziz Hatem (44th minute) and Yohan Boli (70th-minute penalty) scored the goals for Al Rayyan, who moved on to 10 points and fourth place.
It was the third victory for last season’s runners-up Al Rayyan, while promoted side Al Kharaitiyat crashed to their fourth defeat to remain on six points.
Al Rayyan players exhibited a show of support for their team captain Yacine Brahimi, who missed the match due to his illness. In the Algerian attacking midfielder’s absence, Boli led their charge.
Al Kharaitiyat had a goal scored by their spearhead Rachid Tiberkanine disallowed in the 18th minute. The Thunders’ woes were compounded in the 69th minute by the red card to their player Mohammed Shabaan for making a goalline save with his hand off a shot from Al Rayyan’s Mowafak Awad.
In the process, his team also conceded a penalty, which Boli easily converted.
Al Rayyan had earlier taken the lead when Hatem headed in a cross from the right by Gabriel Mercado who had been helped by Ahmed Abdelmaqsoud and Franck Kom.
In hindsight, Al Kharaitiyat had their chances, but their efforts were not enough to fetch them a goal.
Tiberkanine and Evans Mensah were unlucky on more than one occasions. It may be recalled that Al Rayyan had recently made it to the semifinal of 2020-21 season Ooredoo Cup by defeating Al Khor by a solitary goal, whereas Al Kharaitiyat had lost to Al Wakrah in the quarterfinal via tie-breaker.
