DOHA: Second-half goals helped Al Rayyan clinch their second consecutive Sheikh Jassim Cup title after beating a spirited Al Kharaitiyat side 2-0 in the final at Doha Stadium yesterday.
Moussa Haroon (75) and Rodrigo Tabata (84) were the scorers for Al Rayyan, in what proved to be a tough match for the reigning Emir Cup champions.
From the first minute, Al Kharaitiyat, coached by Bertrand Marchand started the match brightly, putting Al Rayyan under pressure.
However, Al Rayyan, coached by Diego Aguirre found their rhythm and started to create chances.
In the 27th minute, Tabata saw his shot go high above the bar in what was one of many chances created by Al Rayyan in the first half.
Al Kharaitiyat, who stunned Eljaish 2-1 in the semi-finals, nearly took the lead through Jessy John.
John rose high above his opponent to connect a well-placed pass from Mahmoud Abdul Halim, but his header was well saved by Al Rayyan goalkeeper.
Minutes later, Al Kharaitiyat goalkeeper Ndiaye Khalifa made two tremendous saves to keep the scores level at half-time.
After the break, both teams continued at the same pace hoping to break the deadlock.
Former Villarreal and Brazilian striker Nilmar missed a glorious opportunity to put his side ahead in the second half.
The striker failed to hit the target with only the goalkeeper to beat. The miss was met with frustration by players and officials on the Al Rayyan bench.
The first goal of the match came 15 minutes from the final whistle when Haroon’s headed goal gave Al Rayyan the lead following a short corner.
Tabata then doubled the lead in the 84th minute, when the attacking midfielder scored the second goal of the match.
The Brazilian linked up well with Nilmar, and following some clever work from the latter, Tabata was left with an easy finish inside the six-yard box to put his side in control.
Al Kharaitiyat continued to create chances but failed to find the net when the final whistle was blown.
It was the second straight trophy for Al Rayyan, following their Emir Cup win in May.
