Sharjah players celebrate with the Qatar-UAE Super Cup.
DOHA: Sharjah defeated Al Gharafa 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation time to clinch the Qatar-UAE Super Cup title at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium yesterday.
The United Arab Emirates side were rewarded for their resolve as they fought back after Florinel Coman put Al Gharafa ahead in the second half, with Sharjah’s Luan Pereira sending the match to penalties with a one-touch finish.
While Joselu, Yacine Brahimi, Ferjani Sassi and Florinel Coman converted their penalties, Jang Hyun-soo was denied by Sharjah goalkeeper Adel Alhosani, who dived to his right. Sharjah remained perfect in the shootout, with Igor Coronado calmly slotting home the winning penalty as celebrations erupted in their camp.
“It is always important to win a trophy. I am pleased that it was a high-quality match. I hope this competition will continue in the coming years,” said Sharjah coach Jose Morais.
After a goalless first half, in which Brahimi and Joselu came close to scoring, Al Gharafa stepped up their efforts in search of a goal. Brahimi’s effort was stopped by Alhosani, while Sassi was denied by Pereira on the line. Coman finally broke the deadlock in the 64th minute with a clinical strike from substitute Alvaro Djalo’s assist.
But the lead lasted just 10 minutes for the hosts as Pereira stunned the home fans with the equaliser. Al Gharafa later applied pressure with Joselu and Brahimi making efforts for the winner before Hyun-soo’s missed penalty cost them the trophy.
“Unfortunately, that is football. Penalty kicks are largely a matter of luck, and we were not successful. We played an excellent match, especially in the second half, when we had the chance to win before it went to penalties,” said Sassi.
“The match was decided by small details. We scored first, but Sharjah equalised with a rather strange goal. We wanted to win, but we were unsuccessful in our endeavour.”
Al Duhail, Al Wahda battle for Challenge Shield
Today, Al Duhail face Al Wahda at Abu Dhabi’s Al Nahyan Stadium, with both teams eyeing the Challenge Shield.
Al Duhail coach Djamel Belmadi expressed confidence ahead of the match.
“We are ready for a tough match against a strong Al Wahda side that has many quality players. It will be a difficult challenge, but we are fully prepared.”
Al Wahda defeated Al Duhail 3-1 in their last meeting during the AFC Champions League Elite.
“This game will be different from our previous encounter in the AFC Champions League. It is a new competition and a final, and we will give everything we have to achieve victory and win the title.”
Al Duhail players attend a training session on the eve of their Challenge Shield match.
Al Wahda coach Dimas Teixeira said his team is ready for the match.
“This is a final, and both teams share the same desire to win the Challenge Shield. Finals require total focus - fatigue and pressure no longer matter. We respect our opponent and their quality players, but we will fight to win and make our fans proud.”
The Qatar-UAE Super Cup continues tomorrow with Al Sadd hosting Shabab Al Ahli at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium for the Super Shield, while the event concludes on Sunday with the Challenge Cup match between Al Jazira and Al Ahli at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
