Fans of Qatari football didn’t seem that surprised when El Jaish defeated current Arabian Gulf League champions Al Ain in their opening match of the AFC Champions League last week.
Former France midfielder Sabri Lamouchi’s side have been quietly going about their business domestically, and are in second place in the Qatar Stars League (QSL) behind runaway leaders Al Rayyan.
Central to the Soldiers’ rise has been the formidable attacking trio of Romarinho, Sardor Rashidov and Morocco striker Abderrazak Hamdallah.
They have collectively had a say in 33 of El Jaish’s 40 goals in the top flight so far this season. The three players were influential again last week at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, contributing to both efforts in a 2-1 victory against the Boss.
Romarinho joined Jaish in the summer of 2014 from Corinthians and quickly established himself as a key player in Lamouchi’s side.
The 25-year-old hit the ground running and helped himself to an impressive 16 goals in 24 starts during his debut season.
The Brazilian striker has been utilised on the right wing for most of the season, cutting in and linking up with his forward partners to an often-devastating effect.
An impressive 25 goals in 32 starts for Chinese Super League side Guangzhou R&F was enough to convince the Jaish management to pay big money for the services of his team-mate Hamdallah.
The move has been an incontrovertible success for both player and club.
The 25-year-old has racked up 15 strikes in just 18 games to be the QSL’s second top scorer. The attacker has a poacher’s instinct along with plenty of composure in front of the goal, which has led to such a high tally in his first season in the Middle East.
Uzbekistan international Sardor Rashidov was also recruited in the summer from Bunyodkor.
The 24-year-old left winger came highly rated from his homeland, and has often been compared to Portugal and Real Madrid icon Cristiano Ronaldo.
So far, he has scored nine goals for his new side along with providing five assists for his team-mates.
This mixture of goals and assists has been crucial in consolidating El Jaish’s impressive position both domestically and in Asia’s premier club competition.
With ex-Marseille defender Lucas Mendes still absent with a knee problem, the Qataris will be hoping their attacking trio of RHR will be on fine form when they entertain Al Ain this evening at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium.
