Al Rayyan beat Al Shamal 3-0 in Round 5 (Group A) of the 2021-2022 season Ooredoo Cup match at Al Khor Stadium on Tuesday.

 

Ali Malolah Karimi (57^th minute) and Hashim Ali (61^st minute and 64th minute) showed good form in the second half to power Al Rayyan to their first win of Ooredoo Cup in the new season. 

 

In the first five minutes, Al Rayyan should have gone 1-0 up but Hashim Ali – after covering a lot of ground – charged into the Al Shamal box but then missed his target from close range despite easily beating keeper Hassan Idriss Dicko with his shot 

 

Close to the half—hour mark, Al Rayyan wasted a good chance to score. Captain Yacine Ibrahim found his way into the Al Shamal box. Just a few meters away from the goalmouth, Ibrahim beat the keeper but Al Shamal’s Yaghoub Dorzadeh dived to stop the ball from going into the net.

 

In the 40^th minute, Ibrahim drilled one from outside the Al Shamal box but the shot was deflected. However, Al Shamal keeper Dicko was alert and parried the loopy drop over the crossbar.

 

But in the second half, Al Rayyan turned things around in dramatic fashion. Ali Karimi, inside the Al Shamal box, was quick to pounce a loose ball and tap it over the keeper for his side’s first goal in the 57^th minute. Four minutes later, Al Rayyan jumped to a 2-0 lead when Hashim Ali – after a cross from Ibrahim – tapped the ball into the net from close range.

 

Three minutes later, the Ibrahim-Hashim Ali duo produced Al Rayyan’s third goal. Ibrahim found Hashim with a neat cross from outside the box. Hashim charged into the box and slipped the ball past Al Shamal keeper Dicko for his side’s third goal within 6 minutes.