Lekhwiya hold Al Arabi to 1-1 draw to inch closer to the QSL title

QSL leaders scored an injury time equalizer against immediate chasers Al Arabi in a contested a 1-1 draw in a shifty 17th round match in the Qatar Stars League on Saturday.

It was the first competitive fixture for Jamal belmadi's side with a nearly full squad in over a month, and they can be pleased with the unity and discipline they had shown, particularly with prolific striker Mohammed Razaq missing from the starting line-up.

After a dull 45 opening minutes, Al Arabi took the lead through midfielder Abdulaziz Hatim, who fired from outside the box leaving keeper Baba Malick motionless in the56th minute.

That was just the tip of the iceberg for Lekhwiya's problems, Aruna Dindane and Luiz Martin were both sent off for reckless challenges by Swiss referee Bussacka.

Al Arabi solely steered the game from there, wasting many openings in front of the goal to double or even triple their tally, thus making Lekhwiya's equalizer devastating, Bakari Koni delivered a moment of magic when he curled in a free-kick from 20-yards past Rajab Hamza who touched the ball with his finger tips into the back of the net.

**Qatar Football Association