Al Gharafa Meet Al Sadd In the Emir Cup Final
Roberto Mancini’s Al-Sadd, the winners of the Qatari Stars League ( the premier football competition in Qatar), had a great chance of a season double when they met Al-Gharafa at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al-Rayyan, near Doha, on the 9th of May 2026.
The Cheetahs, the Defending Champions
Al-Gharafa, the defending Champions of the Emir Cup, known as the Cheetahs and coached by Pedro Martins, were going to give Al-Sadd a run for their money. Roberto Mancini was aware of the dangers in facing Al-Gharafa, and his worst fears came true that night.
Al Gharafa Put In A Great Performance
The match, played in front of a strong 38k crowd, was worth their money, with Al-Gharafa putting up a sensational performance, and the Emir of Qatar, H. H. Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani, a fine footballer himself, in attendance.
A Sensational Yacine Brahimi Scores a Hat-trick
Ferjani Sassi, the veteran Tunisian, opened the scoring for the Cheetahs, and then it was all about the Algerian star, Yacine Brahimi, who was scintillating that night. He scored thrice in a sublime display of football. He had a night to savour for the rest of his life.
An Out of Rhythm Al Sadd – Completely Outplayed
Al Sadd were completely out of rhythm, and as the momentum swung in favour of Al Gharafa, the Wolves started to lose ground. They did get a consolation goal in the end through Javairo Dilrosun, but it was all too little too late. The Cheetahs had annihilated the Wolves for good.
Title Defended
Al Gharafa, with a comprehensive 4-1 victory, won the Emir Cup, successfully defending the title they had won last year, beating Al Rayan in the final. It was also their 9th overall trophy, a significant achievement.
Pedro Martins Dedicates Win To Fans
Pedro Martins summed it perfectly, ” Winning back-to-back Amir Cup titles is not an easy job… We give this gift for our fans, it’s very important, they deserve it.”
With the victory, Al-Gharafa also qualified for the AFC Champions League Elite.
What a win for the Cheetahs!!
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