Emir Cup semis in cool stadium Saturday, 21 May 2011 02:20

by Abdul Basit

Al Gharafa and Al Rayyan football teams and their supporters had a lot to celebrate after the two teams entered the Emir’s Cup final scheduled to take place today at the Khalifa Stadium. Al Gharafa, Heir Apparent Cup winners, defeated Qatar Stars League (QSL) champions Lekhwiya in a thriller which was decided on penalties. Al Gharafa won 4-3 with goalkeeper Qassim Burhan was the hero as he saved two spot-kicks while Younis Mahmood converted the final penalty kick at the Al Sadd Stadium which gave Al Gharafa entry into the final. The following day, Al Rayyan did not have to break much sweat like Al Gharafa and Lekhwiya as they cruised to a 5-0 victory over Al Jaish. Both semi-final matches were played with Qatar’s new cooling technology, which was showcased to FIFA inspection team last year during the 2022 World Cup bid which Qatar successfully won, switched on. The curtains on the domestic football season will come down today with this prestigious final at the magnificent Khalifa Stadium with more than 45,000 spectators expected to witness the match. The Peninsula