Al Arabi beat Al Wakrah 1-0 in Week 1 of the 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League at the Al Gharafa Stadium on Sunday.

Gabonese striker Aaron Boupendza scored the only goal of the match in the 71st minute.

For most part of the first half, long-range shots were employed by both teams as defenders from the two sides refused to allow space to strikers on either side.

In the 14th minute, Al Arabi’s Mehrdad Mohammadi fired a bullet that got deflected off Lucas Mendes. The referee required VAR assistance to decide against calls for a penalty from Al Arabi players.

Five minutes later, Mehrdad once again produced a blistering shot from the edge of the box but, on this occasion, Al Wakrah goalkeeper Saoud Al Khater blocked the ball mid-air.

In the 24th minute, Al Arabi’s Ahmed Suhail also went long-range with his shot that was well blocked by Al Khater.

Exactly on the half-hour mark, Al Wakrah’s Mohamed Benyettou nearly pulled off a goal when he produced a powerful shot from the edge of Al Arabi box, but keeper Mahmoud Abunada positioned himself well to parry the ball away.

Three minutes from the first-half whistle, Al Arabi found the net, but a solo run and finish by Boupendza was ruled offside.

Four minutes into the second half, the hit-and-miss continued as Al Wakrah’s young Khalid Muneer had time and space to drill a short cross into the net, but his left-footed drive flew above the crossbar.

In the 71st minute, Boupendza found the net with a left-footed drive from the edge of the box that hit the crossbar and crashed into the Al Wakrah goal for what turned out to be the winner.