Coach Hernan Crespo expressed his delight after Al Duhail returned to top of the QNB Stars League (QSL) standings following a hard-fought win over Al Rayyan on Tuesday night.
Captain Almoez Ali, Michael Olunga, Ferjani Sassi and Khaled Mohammed scored in the 4-3 victory as Al Duhail moved to 45 points on the points table, regaining a two-point lead over second place Al Arabi with three matches to play.
The Red Knights entered the match after shock defeats including a loss in Amir Cup quarter-final against Al Sailiya and a defeat to Al Gharafa in their previous QSL fixture.
Crespo praised his entire squad crediting Al Duhail’s turnaround to the teamwork.
“I am very grateful to the players who worked so hard. All the players are striving to help the team reach the top level. The players who started the game and those who were on the bench, everyone has same aim which is to see the team succeed,” he said after win over Al Rayyan.
Al Duhail created many chances against Al Rayyan, with Crespo saying the team could have won by a better margin had they availed their opportunities well.
“We knew it is going to be a difficult match because Al Rayyan have a strong side. But I think we created many chances in the match and could have scored more goals. Still, I am happy with my team’s overall performance in the important match,” he added.
In their last three matches, Al Duhail will meet Umm Salal, defending champions Al Sadd and Al Shamal and victories in these matches will guarantee them a Falcon Shield, which they last lifted in the 2019-2020 season.
Mohamed Moussa said the team will look to win all the matches to seal the title.
“We fought hard to claim an important victory [against Al Rayyan]. This win has made us top contenders again to win the league,” the Al Duhail player said.
“We were unlucky in the last two games but it happens is football. The important thing is we have started winning again at a crucial time in the league,” he said.
Al Duhail will next meet Umm Salal on April 29 before a big clash against Al Sadd on May 4. They will take on Al Shamal in their final match on May 8.
