Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Doha: Al Arabi crashed to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of 2011 AFC Champions League winners Al Sadd in their reschedule 2011/12 Qatar Stars League fixture on Monday.
Al Sadd made a blistering start to the QSL Round 5 clash, which had been originally had been set for November 20 but postponed due to their involvement in last year's ACL, with the continental champions going 3-0 with just 24 minutes gone.
Khalfan Ibrahim, who was a youth player at Al Arabi before joining Al Sadd in 2004, opened the scoring in the 14th minute before Yusef Ahmed added a second three minutes later.
Algerian international Nadir Belhdj made it 3-0 in the 24th minute and although ex-Al Sadd midfielder Majidi Siddiq reduced the deficit on the stroke of half-time, there was to be no way back for the 2012 ACL Group B side with 2006 AFC Player of the Year Ibrahim sealing the 4-1 with his second of the night in the 61st minute.
Al Arabi, who finished runners-up to Thai Farmers Bank in the final of the 1995 Asian Club Championship make their first appearance in the AFC Champions League on March 6 when they face fellow debutants Bani Yas in the UAE.