Doha: Keeping to the script, Al Duhail booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 50th edition of the prestigious Amir Cup football riding on a double from their star Nam Tae-hee for a comfortable 4-2 win against Al Khor at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium on Tuesday.
In other Round of 16 match, Colombian star James Rodriguez scored a stoppage time goal as Al Rayyan went past 10-man Umm Salal to book their last eight place.
In a rollicking start, skipper Almoez Ali put Al Duhail ahead in the 10th minute, heading the ball in from a close range following an assist from Michael Olunga.
Tae-hee then scored a fabulous goal off a free kick that curled on the left, beating Al Khor goalkeeper Jehad Mohammad in the 18th minute.
Al Duhail continued to dominate the proceedings and Abdeirahman Moustafa made it 3-0 after receiving a through pass from Ali Afif, four minutes before the breather.
Al Khor came back as a better side and cut the deficit, with Said Mohamed Brahimi scoring their first goal in the 52nd minute before Tae-hee regained the three-goal lead for The Red Knights with a strike in 64th minute.
Al Khor pulled one back again through Juma Al Habsi, who struck in 78th minute but Al Duhail came out as comfortable winners.
“I told my players to seek early goals to avoid any surprise, and I am happy as they remained focused till the end,” Al Duhail coach Luis Castro said after the win.
“Al Khor played well in the second half but we managed to achieve a comfortable victory,” he added.
Al Duhail will take on Al Sailiya in the quarter-finals as The Peregrines shocked Al Arabi in their Round of 16 clash on Monday.
Later at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium, coach Nicolas Cordova got off to a winning start with The Lions, thanks to a superb volley by Rodriguez in 90+2 minutes.
Al Rayyan dominated the match with over 70 percent of ball possession but they struggled to score until Rodriguez’s goal from near the penalty spot took them to the last-8 stage where they will meet Al Wakrah or Al Shahania.
Umm Salal played the entire second half with 10 man after Yaseen Al Bakhit was sent off in 45+2 minutes.
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