Qatar Cup 2024 semi-final breaks the internet, but anxious fans steal the limelight

This is the first time that Al Wakrah have made it to the Qatar Cup final and on their second successive appearance in the tournament. The team got the better of Al Sadd in the semi-final 5-4 in a penalty shootout after a crazy 2-2 tie.

Earlier, the opponent seemed to be getting nearer to victory as they led 2-0 at halftime – supported by goals in the 11th minute and 27th minute by Akram Afif and Gonzalo Plata, respectively. But things started getting more interesting later on.

The halftime ended to see Ayoub Assal striking in the 73rd minute and Jacinto Dala scoring a brilliant goal in added time (90+3 minutes). By the 75th minute of the game, it had already started to pour. Still, a lot had to unfold soon.

Qatar Cup 2024 semi-final penalty shootout

In the 87th minute, Al Wakrah heaved a sigh of relief as a penalty decision got overruled after a video assistant referee (VAR) check. Later on, one of the stars of the match, Dala, made a sublime strike from outside the box, letting the ball rush in.

The 2-2 tie needed a penalty shootout. Hassan Al Haydous, Mateus Uribe, Gonzalo Plata and Afif scored for Al Sadd, and Benyettou, Lucas Sainsbury, Hamdy Fathi, Rabeh Boussafi and Omar Ali did the same for Al Wakrah.

Besides the intense clash, the spectators also lured substantial attention. Check out this clip of emotional Al Wakrah fans celebrating the winning penalty that qualified the team for the Qatar Cup final for the first time. Keep an eye out for the finals against Al Rayyan on Saturday.