Al Wakrah’s defeat means that all four Qatari clubs have bowed out of the bilateral tournament without a win in hand.
Al Wakrah failed to capitalise on multiple occasions as Emirati team Al Wahda came from behind to win the Qatar-UAE Challenge Cup in Abu Dhabi’s Al Nahyan Stadium.
The Qatar side succumbed 5-4 to the hosts on penalties, despite initially taking the lead during regular play and even holding an advantage heading into the shootout.
Al Wakrah’s loss sees Qatari sides remain winless in the ongoing Qatar-UAE Super Cup, with all four trophies so far claimed by UAE teams.
It could have been a special morale-boosting win for a side that has been reeling domestically and searching for a resurgence under new manager Poya Asbaghi.
Centre-back Almahdi Ali missed the decisive penalty for the visitors as his teammate Aissa Laidouni, who had scored in regular time to hand Al Wakrah the lead, also missed his kick.
Al Wakrah led through Laidouni’s goal in the first half, which was cancelled out by Al Wahda’s forward Omar Kharbin in the second half.
For a team that came into the following a crushing 6-3 defeat against Al Ahli in the Ooredoo Stars League, Al Wakrah did fairly well to take the lead.
Unmarked at the far post in a corner, Laidoudi controlled the ball well before firing it past Al Wahda goalkeeper Mohamed Alshamsi in the 26th minute.
Earlier, Al Wakrah’s veteran goalkeeper Saoud Mubarak had kept them in the tie, saving Kharbin’s shot at the near post in the 15th minute.
Mubarak was called into action again as the Syrian striker’s free-kick in the 38th minute required a full stretch to tip off the crossbar. The save made sure Al Wakrah went into the break still in the lead.
The goal had been coming for the home side, however, as they were the dominant of the two. As if it was of any doubt, Kharbin finished one at the far post two minutes after the hour mark to even the scoring.
With the game heading towards the penalties, Asbaghi perhaps played his biggest gamble when he switched goalkeepers. The experienced Mubarak was taken off at the 90th minute for Omair Abdulla Al-Sayed, born almost a decade after him.
The move paid off too, as the 24-year-old saved Uzbeki midfielder Khozhimat Erkinov’s penalty in Al Wahda’s third kick.
The score by then was 2-2 on penalties: Lucas Pimenta and Ahmad Nourollahi had scored for the hosts, whereas Ricardo Gomes and Alexander Scholz had followed up just fine for Al Wakrah. Soon, Farid Boulaya made it 3-2 for the visitors.
While Kharbin again did his job by making it 3-3, it was Laidouni’s penalty that struck the crossbar and Al Wakrah’s lead was neutralised again. The hero of the night, in a flash, was a hero no more.
Al Wahda’s Bernardo Folha and Leonel Wamba converted their penalties, while Qatari defender Ali missed his decisive shot, sending his effort over the bar and giving Al Wahda the Challenge Cup after overcoming multiple deficits.
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