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<p>Al Duhail entered the 2020 Qatar Cup final by defeating Al Sailiya 2-0 in the first semifinal played at the Al Sadd Stadium on Friday.</p><p>Al Duhail’s new recruit and star forward Mario Mandzukic (59th minute) and substitute Almoez Ali (72nd-minute penalty) scored the goals.</p><p>Al Duhail were more on the ball from the start and had more chances. Mandzukic and Mohammed Muntari led their attacks, with Yousef Msakni and Paulo Edmilson playing supporting roles.</p><p>At the other end, Karim Ansari and Abdulqadir Ilyas were at the helm of Al Sailiya’s offensives.</p><p>Amid Al Duhail’s repeated raids, Ansari wreaked havoc at the rival goal in the 14th minute as he released a dangerous cross from the right, but it was too fast for Ilyas to connect even as goalkeeper Amine Lecomte could not block it.</p><p>Ansari was at it again in the 20th minute and his angular shot demanded a high-reflex save from the goalkeeper.</p><p>Al Sailiya’s Daniel Gomou skied his shot as the first half drew to a close goalless.</p><p>Al Duhail started off the second half by fielding Almoez Ali in place of Muntari.</p><p>The Red Knights broke the deadlock when Mandzukic opened his account in Qatar in his second match. The Croat placed home a rebound from goalkeeper Khalifa Aboobacker, who fumbled with collection of a Luis Martin shot.</p><p>Al Duhail doubled the advantage when Almoez converted a penalty, awarded by referee Nayef Al Kadiri after he was fouled by Serigne Mbodji when Almoez was chasing a through pass from Msakni.</p><p>Al Duhail’s new North Korean forward Han Kwang-Song made his debut towards the end of the game.</p><p>Al Sadd will take on Al Rayyan in the second semifinal at the Al Sadd Stadium on Saturday. The final is scheduled for 17th January.</p><p>Al Duhail qualified for the Qatar Cup’s sixth edition by virtue of finishing second in the 2018-19 QNB Stars League, while Al Sailiya made it to the elite tournament featuring the top-four teams in the league by finishing a creditable third, behind reigning champions Al Sadd and Al Duhail.</p><p>It was Al Sailiya’s highest-ever standing in the Qatar league. The achievement also earned The Peregrines a play-off place in the 2020 AFC Champions League, for the first time in their history.</p><p>Al Duhail had won the Qatar Cup in its second edition in the 2014-15 season, while Al Sailiya were playing in the tournament’s sixth edition for the second time, after 2014.</p>