Al Sadd booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Emir Cup with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Al Markhiya on Saturday at Hamad Al Kabir Stadium.
After a goalless first half in the round-of-16 clash, Rafa Mojica broke the deadlock in the 74th minute from the penalty spot before doubling the lead with a composed finish following a fine assist from Akram Afif.
Al Markhiya pulled one back deep into stoppage time through Mohamedou Nabi Sarr and nearly forced extra time when a late effort struck the post, capping a tense finale.
Al Sadd will next face Al Shamal, who advanced with a win over Qatar in the same round.
Al Markhiya, who had reached the round of 16 after defeating Al Mesaimeer in the preliminary stage, exit the competition at this stage.
The result continued Al Sadd’s dominance in the fixture, with Saturday’s victory marking their eighth win in as many meetings with Al Markhiya in the Emir Cup.
The match was officiated by referee Mohammed Al-Shammari, assisted by Jumaa Boursheed and Abdulmalik Al-Amri. Abdulaziz Brahimi served as fourth official, with Salman Al-Fallahi on VAR duty and Abdulmajid Al-Karbi as assistant VAR referee.
