Al Sadd players during a training session, yesterday.
Former champions Al Rayyan face a tough task as they meet the QNB Stars League (QSL) champions Al Sadd in “Qatar Clasico” at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium today.
With both the teams desperate for points after shaky starts to the season, the highly-anticipated games - set to kick off at 6:30pm - gains more importance.
Al Rayyan, currently placed 11th with just one win from eight games, are battling to rise in the standings while Al Sadd - trying to find the perfect combinations in start of the season in absence of key players - are looking to regain domination in the league.
The Wolves are currently ninth in the QSL standings with just two wins from seven matches, but the return of star players will boost their chances.
For today’s blockbuster, Coach Juanma will be happy to welcome back Al Annabi stars Akram Afif, Hassan Al Haydos and Saad Al Sheeb among host of senior players after they featured in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
“Looking at the 2022 FIFA World Cup from our point of view, we were more enthusiastic and passionate because we had a large number of players in the tournament,” Juanma said ahead of the Round 9 clash, yesterday. “We had to complete the team with young players for more than a month and a half and, despite that, I think it was good.”
Al Sadd midfielder Jung Woo-Young, who was part of the South Korean team at Qatar 2022, is also back to strengthen the squad, and said that the team is expected to play with full force in the upcoming matches.
“We will play in the upcoming matches of the league championship with full force after the return of most of the team members who represented their countries in the World Cup. Before the World Cup, we lost many points and now it is time to add points to our tally. From now on, we need to win all matches. The Qatar Clasico against Al Rayyan is the start for us and we have to win this match. There are no other options,” Woo-Young said.
However, Juanma said he expects a tough game despite Al Rayyan missing out on some of their key players for national duty in Iraq at Arabian Gulf Cup.
“We will face a good competitor with good players, it will be a very difficult match and we need to see what the situation of our team will be with the absence of many players who are still with the national team. At the same time, some have returned but at different times, so we have to see how the situation is.
“Now we miss another large group of players who are with the national team in the Gulf Cup. The team must be stronger with the return of some players and we will strive to be at our best,” said Juanma.
Meanwhile, Al Rayyan coach Nicolas Cordova said they will face one of the strongest teams in the League.
“We know that we will face a very strong competitor, one of the strongest teams in the league. And we must be in the best readiness to provide the best performance. We must know that the team is suffering especially on the front of professional players,” Cordova said, adding that Al Rayyan are looking to strengthen the squad with new signings.
“The winter transfer period is an opportunity to strengthen the team. We have a shortage of foreign professional players, especially in the offensive line, and we must include players. We also have a shortage at the level of local players and we need three players to strengthen the defence.”
“We have an absence of players who are with Al Annabi in the Gulf Cup, four players in the player development project in Europe and some others in the youth team who are very important to us. We miss a large number of players, be they local or foreign professionals, and the lack of players was one of the reasons for the team’s low position in the table and it is difficult to compete in their absence,” Cordova noted.
QNB Stars League Fixtures
Al Duhail vs Umm Salal
At Abdullah Bin Khalifa (4:20pm)
Qatar SC vs Al Gharafa
Abdullah Bin Khalifa (6:30pm)
Al Rayyan vs Al Sadd
At Thani Bin Jassim (6:30pm)
Tomorrow
Al Wakrah vs Al Arabi
At Saoud Bin Abdulrahman (4:15pm)
Al Sailiya vs Al Ahli
At Hamad Bin Khalifa Stadium (4:15pm)
