Al Rayyan captain Rodrigo Tabata
The reigning Qatar Stars League (QSL) champions Al Rayyan will continue to receive the services of their talismanic captain Rodrigo Tabata for two more years.
The club officials yesterday confirmed that the 36-year-old playmaker will now be under contract with the club till the summer of 2020, following a two-year contract extension.
There is no doubt that the Qatari International striker’s continuation with Al Rayyan will be a major boost for the team and Tabata has already proved he is one of the best forwards in the country.
Regarded as one of the most consistent players in recent years for Al Rayyan, the star striker is already the leading contributor for the club, having scored 16 goals.
The two-time QFA Player of the Year, Tabata was the driving force behind the success of Al Rayyan last season, becoming the joint-highest scorer with a tally of 21 goals as they went on to lift the QSL Falcon Shield.
Having secured Tabata’s service, Al Rayyan began preparations for their upcoming AFC Champions League clash against Tehran-based Persian Gulf Pro League leaders Persepolis. The match will be played at the Al Sadd Stadium on Tuesday, March 14 and Tabata’s men head into the game after a splendid 4-0 win over Al Wakrah in round 23 of the QSL.
Al Rayyan are currently placed third in the QSL standings, having collected 47 points for their 14 wins and five games which they managed to draw.
Lekhwiya are on top of the table, having collected 56 points. They won 17 games and lost only one. They managed to draw five games and are closely followed by Al Sadd who are placed second with 54 points after the 23rd round.
Meanwhile, Lekhwiya are also heading to meet their Iranian counterparts next week. The Qatari side will be looking to impress when they meet Esteghlal Khuzestan in their other AFC Champions League clash which will take place on March 14.
But the clash will be a stern test for Djamel Belmadi’s Red Knights as their meeting with the Persian Gulf Pro League side will be an away game. Esteghlal are currently top of B after picking up two wins from their opening two games of the campaign, but the QSL leaders will be no easy target for the Iranians.
