Al Gharafa coach Slavisa Jokanovic
All eyes will be on Al Gharafa when they take on Umm Salal today as Slavisa Jokanovic-coached team will give it one last shot at securing a place among the top four teams in the QNB Stars League (QSL).
The match kicks off at 8:30pm at Qatar SC Stadium. Al Gharafa who have 30 points against their name, are currently placed sixth in the QSL standings. A win today will take them past Al Ahli who are occupying the fourth spot with 33 points (and a goal difference of +3), but with a poor goal difference (-10), following a 3-0 defeat in the hands of champions Al Sadd yesterday.
The Cheetahs did not enjoy a great run in their recent matches, as they suffered consecutive losses in the hands of Al Wakrah (0-2), Al Sadd (0-2) and Al Ahli (1-3) in their last three QSL before going down 0-1 to Uzbek side FC AGMK in the AFC Champions League play-offs at home on Wednesday.
“We must be physically ready to face Umm Salal in our last league match, especially since it comes after our AFC Champions League match against Uzbekistan club FC AGMK, which went into extra time,” coach Jokanovic told media during a press conference held yesterday. Jokanovic’s men have won nine matches and suffered as many defeats while they managed to share points on three occasions.
“This match will determine our position in the ranking table and Umm Salal, who achieved their goal of staying in the league with their result in the previous match. They are an organised and strong team. They are a team who do not score many goals and in return do not concede many goals either. “The match will not be easy because they seek to end the season in the best position and with a win. We have to focus on winning to end the league in a positive way,” Jokanovic, who is eager to secure back to back spots in the QSL top four, said.
Umm Salal are placed 10th with 21 points, but their position in the standings clearly does not show their strength. Umm Salal are on a high after recording back-to-back wins (3-2 over Al Rayyan in Week 20 and 1-0 against Al Sailiya in Week 21). Their Round 21 win over Al Sailiya also ensured that Umm Salal, coached by Moroccan Aziz Ben Askar, will not have to play relegation play-off with Second Division runners-up in order to retain their place in the top flight.
They have recorded five victories, six draws and 10 defeats. They scored 12 goals and conceded 26 to have a goal difference of -14. A positive result in today’s match will increase hopes of Ben Asker’s men to end the season in ninth position, subject to the outcome of the match between Al Kharaitiyat and Al Wakrah.
“It is an important chance to improve our position in the ranking table after we guaranteed our stay in the QSL for the next season. Our preparations were normal and we must not forget the difficult moments that we went through this season. For this reason, we must respect ourselves and respect everyone,” Ben Askar said yesterday. “Some teams are playing to be in the top four. Umm Salal have ensured survival and this means that we must give everything we have in order to prove ourselves and achieve a good result. That will benefit the team,” he said.
“Umm Salal are waiting for a strong match with Al Gharafa and I am waiting for the reaction of the players in order to achieve a satisfactory result, with which to conclude the season positively, having witnessed difficult moments during the league campaign. “We are a professional team, we always play to win. And as I said to the players, if we want to win we have to have the will. The spirit and mentality of the players are the most important things for me and we must not forget this season. Hard and we will give our best in this game,” the Moroccan tactician said.
Umm Salal and Al Gharafa had played out a 1-1 draw in their previous meeting earlier in the season. In other matches today, Al Arabi face Al Sailiya at the Qatar SC Stadium (6:15pm) before Al Kharaitiyat take on Al Wakrah at Al Sadd Stadium (8:30) as the QSL season comes to an end.
