Doha: Ahmed Alaaeldin sealed a dramatic victory for Al Gharafa with a decisive header in extra time, as they twice battled back from a two-goal deficit to clinch a thrilling 4-3 win over Al Ahli in the Amir Cup Round of 16 clash.Pedro Martins' side exhibited remarkable resilience, especially in the second half, to overturn Al Ahli's early dominance. The match unfolded with Naim Sliti opening the scoring for Al Ahli in the 15th minute, pouncing on a rebound from Khalifa Ababacar's save after Sekou Yansane's initial attempt.Al Ahli swiftly doubled their lead six minutes later, with Yazan Al Nuaimat converting from close range following a precise pass from Sliti. However, Al Gharafa responded with a stunning long-range strike from Fabrizio Diaz in the 27th minute, reigniting their challenge.Despite Al Nuaimat extending Al Ahli's lead once more before halftime, Al Gharafa emerged revitalized in the second half. Farid Boulaya narrowed the deficit in the 68th minute, and Ferjani Sassi levelled the score with a volley in the 83rd minute.The thrilling encounter reached extra time, and Alaaeldin emerged as the hero for Al Gharafa. During the first half of extra time, he headed home a lofted ball from Homam Ahmed to secure the win.Although Al Ahli thought they had equalized through Ramon Gines' strike in the 118th minute, the goal was disallowed for offside, allowing Al Gharafa to celebrate their hard-fought victory and advance to the quarter-finals.Al Gharafa will now face Umm Salal, who secured their spot in the next round by defeating Al Bidda, in what promises to be another exciting encounter in the Amir Cup.
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