Algerian international Yacine Brahimi delivered a brilliant hat-trick performance as Al Gharafa SC defeated Al Sadd 4-1 on Saturday to win the Emir Cup in Qatar.
The experienced midfielder played a decisive role throughout the final and was named man of the match after leading his side to victory against an Al Sadd team that had recently been crowned champions of Qatar.
Al Gharafa entered the final with confidence after their emphatic 4-1 semi-final victory over Al-Duhail SC, coached by Djamel Belmadi and featuring Adil Boulbina.
Their momentum continued in the final as they proved too strong for Roberto Mancini’s Al Sadd side.
Tunisian midfielder Ferjani Sassi opened the scoring in the 21st minute to give Al Gharafa an early advantage before Brahimi began to dominate the contest.
The Algerian midfielder netted his first goal six minutes later to strengthen his side’s control of the match.
Brahimi struck again in the 63rd minute as Al Gharafa moved closer to retaining the trophy they won last season against Al-Rayyan SC.
Although Dutch forward Javairo Dilrosun reduced the deficit for Al Sadd in the 88th minute, any hopes of a late comeback disappeared shortly afterwards.
The Algerian international completed his hat-trick in stoppage time with Al Gharafa’s fourth goal of the evening, sealing an impressive victory and confirming his status as the outstanding player in the final.
The result ensured Al Gharafa successfully defended the Emir Cup title, while Al Sadd were unable to add another trophy to their league triumph earlier in the season.
Brahimi’s performance once again highlighted his importance to the club, with the former Algeria international producing one of his finest displays of the campaign on the biggest domestic stage in Qatari football.
