Duhail Keeps Qatar's Football Spirit Alive as Gharafa and Sadd Struggle for Survival
28 November 2025
Overview
Al-Duhail saved face for Qatari football in the AFC Champions League Elite, becoming the only Qatari club among the three in the continental competition to win the last two group matches, as Al-Gharafa and Al-Sadd struggle and face a real threat of an early exit.
Duhail regained the Asian path after a fluctuating start, losing 1-2 to Al Hilal in Riyadh, drawing 2-2 with Al Ahli in Doha, and then losing 1-3 to Al Wahda in Abu Dhabi.
They bounced back in rounds four and five, beating their UAE hosts Shabab Al-Ahli and Saudi Al-Ittihad in Doha 4-1 and 4-2 respectively.
That raised Duhail to 7 points, placing sixth and keeping alive hopes of advancing to the knockout stage.
In contrast, Al-Gharafa lost in the opening round to Sharjah in the UAE (3-4), then beat Al-Shorta in Doha (2-0), and lost in rounds three to Al Ahli in Jeddah (0-4), and the next two to Al Hilal in Doha (1-2) and Shabab Al-Ahli in Dubai (0-2).
Al-Sadd, meanwhile, drew 1-1 in the first two rounds, with Al-Police in Baghdad and Sharjah in Doha, before suffering losses in rounds three, four and five to Al Hilal in Riyadh (1-3), Al Ahli in Doha (1-2) and Al Wahda in Abu Dhabi (1-3).
Both Al-Gharafa and Al-Sadd have paid the price for their poor form and slipped to ninth and tenth with 3 and 2 points, and are now on the brink of elimination with three rounds left in the Western zone.
After five rounds, both need to win their last three matches and hope for help from others, with Duhail six points behind one of the qualification spots over the next three games.
In the sixth round, Duhail will host Tractor of Iran, and Al-Gharafa will face Al-Wahda, while Sadd will welcome Shabab Al-Ahli on December 22. The following day, Al-Sadd host Shabab Al-Ahli.
In the seventh round, Duhail will host Sharjah on February 9, 2026, while Al-Sadd will travel to Tractor, and Al-Gharafa to Al-Ittihad on February 10.
The group stage comprises eight matches in the West and East zones each, with the top eight in each region advancing to the Round of 16 in March 2026, and the knockout rounds concluding with a final in Saudi Arabia in April 2026.
The plan is to resume Western zone fixtures on December 22-23, with Sharjah hosting Al Hilal, Tractor facing Duhail in Tabriz, Al-Gharafa versus Al-Wahda in Doha, and Al-Shorta against Al-Ahli in Baghdad on December 22, and on December 23, Al-Sadd versus Shabab Al-Ahli in Doha and Al-Ittihad against Nasaf in Jeddah.
Hitting the scoreboard can be cruel: the top two qualifiers in the West were already clear, as Al Hilal and Al Wahda moved to the knockout stages with 15 and 13 points respectively, while the rest scramble for the remaining spots.
As the campaign progresses, the drama only sharpens: a group that started with caution now teeters on edge, with every match potentially rewriting the path to the Round of 16. The final stretch promises plenty of action, and a few miracle moments for the Qatar clubs.
Final note: if you think football is predictable, these results will remind you why the sport is called “the beautiful game” and not “the boring game.”
Punchline 1: In this group, the only thing sharper than the players’ shots is the timing—sniper-level precision when the goal finally yawns open. Punchline 2: If prophecy were a sport, my forecast would need a red-card—three minutes into the second half of a group game and the laughs would already be offside.
