Al-Sadd suffered their first defeat of the 2023-24 Expo Stars League season, losing 1-0 to Al-Arabi in a hard-fought encounter at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.
Rafinha Alcantara secured the sole goal, leading Al Arabi to victory in the rescheduled match from Week 6 of the Expo Stars League.
The decisive moment unfolded in the 31st minute, as Rafinha capitalized on a mishandling by Al Sadd goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham from Mohammed Hassan Al Taabouni’s corner kick.
Despite Al Sadd’s relentless attempts, including a double substitution at half-time, with Hashim Ali and Guilherme Torres joining the fray, they couldn’t breach Al Arabi’s defense. At the other end, Al Arabi’s Omar Al Somah and Abdou Diallo posed constant threats, with Diallo’s header narrowly missing the target in the 51st minute.
Despite the setback, Al-Sadd retained their position at the top of the table, with 28 points.
