Day: September 1, 2023

Coaches of Al Gharafa and Al Ahli spoke to the media ahead of their 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League Week 3 match.

Al Gharafa’s Pedro Martins said, “The players are in good condition and perform well, physically and psychologically, and we are ready for the match. We know very well how important it is.

“I am personally very happy with this group of players and I think that everyone who watched Al Gharafa enjoyed the matches, and that was evident in the recent matches. We saw the quality of performance and a lot of goalscoring opportunities, and the same for the competitors, we have to admit that. But we are present and we will be at the top of our focus because ahead of us is a tough match.

“It must be reminded once again that the league is improving a lot, and the quality of the teams has become higher. The Al Ahli match will be difficult against good competitor who are also trying to play, and this is what we want. Of course, winning is important to us.

“We are waiting for a player in the midfield and this is the position we are currently looking for, but we prefer to choose the right player with specifications that suit our way of playing and our identity. This makes it more difficult to find this type of player and therefore we will not rush to choose.

“We talk in the dressing room that our fans enjoy our matches and it is our responsibility to offer them good matches. It is also a wonderful thing for us and I hope that their presence continues strongly again because their presence helps the team. This is important because Al Gharafa have a great reputation in Qatar and we have to keep it up,” said Martins.

Al Ahli coach Nebojsa Jovovic said that it is necessary for the team to provide the technical level that guarantees it achieving its goal in the match, which is victory.

“In view of the last match against Al Duhail, Al Ahli played a good second half and will have to improve performance more and present a good level befitting the match and achieve the teams goal by obtaining the three points,” said Nebojsa.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Al Rayyan coach Leonardo Jardim addressed the media ahead of their Expo Stars League Week 3 clash against Al Shamal in the 2023-2024 season.

He discussed the unique preparations for this match, considering that over half of the team is currently participating in the Olympic squad. He said, in comments carried by Qatar Stars League website, that the focus lies on getting the team ready for the specific game plan they intend to execute against Al Shamal.

Jardim expressed his anticipation for the upcoming match, emphasizing that it holds an element of surprise. He noted how Al Shamal managed to secure positive results against strong teams like Al Arabi and Al Wakrah early in the season. Nevertheless, he underlined that Al Rayyan always approaches every game with the same determination to secure three points, while maintaining respect for their opponents. Jardim stressed the team’s commitment to representing the prestigious Al Rayyan club and its passionate fanbase, highlighting their goal of achieving victory.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Al Arabi coach Younes Ali spoke to the media ahead of their 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League Week 3 match against Al Duhail.

“Everyone is fully prepared for the match. We know that Al Duhail are a difficult team and have a coach with great experience and distinguished players. I think it will be an enthusiastic and strong match between the two teams,” he said in a press conference reported on by Qatar Stars League website.

He added that the team’s preparation for the match was solid, with all players ready except for Wassim Kedari, who was suspended due to a red card in the previous game. He also noted that everyone understands the match’s significance in getting back on track, and the top priority is securing three points. Younes highlighted that there’s a lot of work ahead, and it’s too early in the season to assess teams’ performance fully. However, they are confident that they’re on the right path and anticipate improvement in the upcoming matches.

Mohammed Al Tabouni, a player for Al Arabi, conveyed the optimism among all players regarding their performance in the upcoming league matches. They recognize the need to step up early in the league competition, and the match against Al Duhail will serve as an important test. He added that the team is still in the process of building cohesion, with some recent additions to the squad. They acknowledge the importance of consistently performing at their best and aim to recover the points lost in the first two rounds of matches.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Brighton announced today that they signed Barcelona wonderkid Ansu Fati on a season-long loan.

The 20-year old helped Barcelona win La Liga last year, playing in 36 matches and scored seven goals. He is Barcelona’s youngest-ever goal scorer in both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Al Gharafa bounced back from being a goal down to upstage Al Ahli 4-1 in their Week 3 clash of the 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League at the Al Thumama Stadium on Friday.

Starring in the turnaround win for The Cheetahs was their Algerian attacking midfielder Yacine Brahimi with two goals (61st and 72nd minutes). Ahmed Al Janehi (27th minute) and Farid Boulaya (90+10 minute penalty) were the other scorers.

Al Ahlis French-born Tunisian Naim Sliti fetched the first and his teams only goal of the match in the 15th minute.

The Brigadiers had made a forceful start, but were later forced to bog down by an aggressive Al Gharafa, who combined well for their second win of the league.

Brahimi, who is now also the top scorer with five goals, showed his good form leading the charge for his side. He looked to breach the rival defence from the very start and in the very fifth minute of the match had a threatening shot miss the left post of the goal by inches.

It seemed a blazing start for Al Ahli, still in search of their first win in the league, when Naim Sliti picked on a superb long cross from Yazan Al Naimat to get the left corner of the net from top centre of the box.

That joy for Ahli, however, lasted for only a while before Al Gharafas Al Janehi, fed with the ball by Brahimi, moved in from the right to shake the same far left corner of the net again.

At 1-1 at half-time, the game appeared to be fairly in the balance, but Al Gharafa returned for Brahimi to steal the show. He got the team into the lead by picking on a cross pass by Boulaya to beat the defenders and the goalkeeper from the right with ease (2-1).

The same combination was at work again as Brahimi struck a second time, on this occasion from the right kicking the ball on a half volley to go over the goalkeeper and into the top net. (3-1).

The added injury time brought more delight for Al Gharafa as they drew a foul inside the danger area for a penalty. Boulaya scored gleefully from the spot and as a reward for all his hard work through the match.

Source: Qatar News Agency