CHAIRMAN: DR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: DR. KHALID MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

Sports / Football

QSL: Al Gharafa eye win against defending champions Lekhwiya

Published: 01 Nov 2012 - 05:58 am | Last Updated: 07 Feb 2022 - 01:12 am


Al Arabi coach Hassan Shehata during a press briefing on the eve of their Qatar Stars League (QSL) match against Al Sailiyah at Al Bidda Tower in Doha, yesterday.  Pictures by: Abdul Basit


DOHA:  Hosts Al Gharafa will rely on their ‘big-match’ temperament to tackle the might of defending champions Lekhwiya in round six of the Qatar Stars League (QSL) today. 

Former champions Al Gharafa are in 6th spot on the QSL points table behind leaders Al Sadd, Al Wakra, Al Rayyan, Lekhwiya and Al Khor after five rounds. 

Al Gharafa coach Paulo Silas yesterday said: “Al Gharafa is a big-match team. When we play big teams, our game rises. That’s the positive side of Al Gharafa team. I am optimistic about our chances against Lekhwiya.”

Silas added: “I congratulate Eric on taking over at Lekhwiya. I had last met him at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. We are looking to achieve many things from this match. We need to improve our position on the points table. Al Gharafa has the capability to go all the way. We can get good results. We are starting to play well.”

Lekhwiya coach Eric Gerets said his team was expecting a tough encounter at Al Gharafa Stadium.

“This will be a tough match, no doubt. You will see a match between two teams who don’t want to lose a point,” Gerets said yesterday. 

“We are improving game by game. That’s how we won our last game. I am looking for a positive result. Our goal is to seek a positive return from this match. We have a balanced side and this bunch is playing with harmony and understanding now. 

“As players and coach, we are getting used to each other in the new season. We had a bit of bad luck at the start of the season. We have had some injury concerns,” Gerets added.  In another clash today, Al Arabi will take on Al Sailiyah with an eye on their first win of the season. 

Al Arabi coach Hassan Shehata said: “We are playing our next match with eye on three points. We want our first win of the new season. I have trust in the ability of my players. I think we can get the desired result from this match.”

Shehata added: “There are no easy games in Qatar Stars League. So we expect another tough match. Al Sailiyah played a great game against Al Rayyan last week (they won 4-1). So you see no team can dominate this league for long periods of time.”

The Egyptian explained: “Our preparation has been sound and we are ready to go. My team knows that Al Sailiyah cannot be taken lightly. We may name some unused players for this match.”

Al Sailiyah coach Maher Kanzari said: “This (round six) will be the most important match for all of the teams, especially us. It is a difficult phase for us. The players have a sense of responsibility. The players are playing well, they just need to get their game together. We can turn a new page with a win in round six. We hope for the best.”

Kanzari added: “Al Arabi players are good. They have a good level of understanding among themselves. In individual sets of play, their players do well in that also. We are striving to get the points. That’s the most important thing for us.”

Also today, 7th-placed Eljaish have a date with 5th-placed Al Khor at Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium.  Eljaish coach Razvan Lucescu said: “My team is not playing the best of football at the moment. We have only two wins in five starts. We have to continue fighting to improve our results. Two days ago I held a meeting with the players and asked them to start stronger and to create more chances. That’s the way to put opponents under pressure.”

Al Khor coach Laszlo Boloni said: “We are working very seriously at the moment. Our focus is on our next rivals - Eljaish. We have developed a good idea about our rivals in QSL. One has to adopt a different technique for each opponent. I feel everything is possible in football.”

THE PENINSULA



Toyota cars  up for grabs

DOHA:  Lucky football fans can win either a Lexus or a Toyota Corolla by attending one of the six Qatar Stars League (QSL) matches this week. 
The round six matches will be played today and tomorrow. 
Twelve lucky fans - with authentic match tickets - will be eligible for the two grand prizes - Lexus and Toyota Corolla - QSL said in a press release yesterday.
Tickets can be purchased from Virgin Megastores (landmark & Virgin), Souq Waqif and at the venue one hour before kick off on the day of the match.The Peninsula