Al Gharafa players celebrate after scoring a goal during the QNB Stars League match in this file picture.
Al Arabi and Al Gharafa are occupying the top two spots in the QNB Stars League (QSL), and both the teams are aiming to continue their good start in the new season as they meet their respective opponents in Round 4 matches today.
Al Arabi, who have 7 points from two wins and a draw from their first three games, are on top of the standings and are ahead of Al Gharafa on basis of scoring more goals as ‘The Cheetahs’ also have two victories and a draw.
Al Arabi will meet struggling Al Shahania at Al Janoub Stadium while Al Gharafa will take on Al Ahli in today’s second game at Al Sadd Stadium.
Al Arabi coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said his team was looking forward to stay on top of the standings.
“I know Al Shahania are a good side but we’re targeting a top position in the standings. Our goal is three points,” Hallgrimsson said at a pre-match press conference yesterday.
Al Arabi coach said his target for the entire season was to maintain good form in all games that will help his side finish among the top four sides.
“We’re building a team for the future and that’s one of my priorities. I think it’s great if we finish the season among the top four,” he said.
The former Icelandic player said though Al Shahania have lost all their first three matches and are reeling on the bottom, his team cannot afford to take them lightly.
“Every game is a test for us and I think it depends on the mentality of the players and their ambition. It’s mostly about determination. Even if we suffer a setback, we must come back strongly,” said Hallgrimsson.
On the other hand, Al Shahania coach Jose Murcia hoped his team will rectify mistakes in today’s encounter and will bounce back strongly.
“We’ve tried to correct the mistakes we made in the past games and we’re trying to get a positive result from this game in order to improve our position,” Murcia said yesterday.
“We must’ve a strong determination and positive spirit. We trained well though we had no special preparations. We’re taking this game very seriously,” he added. Meanwhile, Al Gharafa coach Slavisa Jokanovic said his team was ready to put a good performance against Al Ahli.
“We play against a difficult and strong team, a good test for us. We have prepared for this match as usual. We will face a different team than the other opponents we faced so far,” said Jokanovic
“Al Ahli are strong in attack and we are ready to put up a good performance. We will see what happens in the game,” he added.
“The Al Ahli match, despite its difficulty, is only about three points. We are ready to make an effort to win. We are trying to develop our overall level,” said Al Gharafa coach. However, Al Ahli coach Ruben de la Barrera, whose team jumped to 4th in the standings with back-to-back wins, was upbeat ahead of the match.
“Al Gharafa are a new challenge for us. A strong match and I know the quality of Al Gharafa players and their coach. We have won the last two games, which gave us more confidence to build on in the next game and we hope to achieve a positive result,” said De la Barrera.
“Our new recruit Abel Mathias is starting to show his seriousness and he is the striker I was waiting for. The players must have more time for harmony among themselves, as well as get used to the atmosphere in the stadiums,” he added.
