Sharjah defeats Al Gharafa in AFC Champions League opener

September 15, 2025 / 8:27 PM

Sharjah 24: Sharjah began their AFC Champions League campaign with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Qatar's Al Gharafa at Sharjah Stadium in the first round of the league stage.

Sharjah secures first three points

The win gave Sharjah an early advantage in the group, earning their first three points of the tournament. Al Gharafa, meanwhile, left the match without points.

Goals galore in action-packed match

Sharjah’s goals came from Ray Manaj in the 60th and 90+1st minutes, Ousmane Camara in the 62nd, and Igor Coronado deep into stoppage time in the 90+10th minute.
Al Gharafa’s Yacine Brahimi opened the scoring in the 33rd minute from the penalty spot, while Joselu netted twice—once in the 45th and again in the 73rd minute, also from a penalty.

Red card adds to Al Gharafa’s woes

Al Gharafa went down to 10 men late in the match after Khalifa Babiker received a red card in the 86th minute, compounding their defeat in a tense and dramatic opening clash.