admin 
Al Shahania retained their place in the Qatar Stars League for next season as they quelled Al Kharaitiyat’s challenge 3-0 in their Play-Off match at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium yesterday.
Al Kharaitiyat were aiming to make a return to Qatar’s top flight league but their hopes were dashed as Abdoulaye Traore (30th minute), Moaz Tawhed Elwadia (53rd minute), and Andreas Van Beek (62nd minute) struck for Al Shahania.
Both sides were tight-fisted in defence at the start until Al Shahania’s Ivorian winger Traore broke the deadlock as he picked on a long ball from Francesco Antonucci to dash in and beat two defenders and the rival goalkeeper.
Al Kharaitiyat tried to hit back as action resumed in the second half but Al Shahania’s goalkeeper Shehab Mamdouh Ellethy made a well-timed leap to push out a long free kick.
Seven minutes later, Elwadia doubled Al Shahania’s lead as he intercepted a Pelle van Amersfoort header assist before shooting it in.
More joy awaited Al Shahania as their Dutch star Andreas Van Beek deflected in a Marc Martinez free kick – taken from about 20 yards on the right – to make the scoreline 3-0.
Al Shahania had ended their Qatar Stars League campaign in 11th place with 21 points to be pushed into the relegation contest while Al Kharaitiyat had finished as runners-up in the Second Division.
