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<p>Reigning champions Al Duhail crashed to a 0-1 defeat against Al Kharaitiyat in Week 21 of the QNB Stars League at the Al Ahli Stadium on Thursday.</p><p>Al Duhail saw their title hopes end as they suffered a defeat and Al Sadd beat Al Ahli to emerge as the champions.</p><p>Mohammed Salam scored the only goal in the 77th minute.</p><p>Al Kharaitiyat thus maintained their hopes of staying in the First Division.</p><p>The game was very much a low-key affair, with Al Kharaitiyat looking to starve a nervous Al Duhail of their favourite possession-based football and thus offering a chance to the home team to sneak a surprise victory.</p><p>With very little action in the first half, the first real chance of the match fell to an ambitious Abdulla Al Anzi, as he approached from distance before launching a 30-yard drive that would have tested the goalkeeper had he been able to keep it a little lower. This was certainly the catalyst for Al Kharaitiyat and ultimately the positive spark that pushed them towards the only goal of the night.</p><p>Moments later, a corner was headed clear which was crossed back in from the left by Valentin Lazar and that was met with a fabulous header by Salam, who flicked it into the corner with his back turned to the goal. It was an audacious effort and fully deserving of a match winner.</p><p>Any chance of Al Duhail’s comeback was extinguished while Al Kharaitiyat held on to a famous victory.</p>