Al Shamal unveil their new players for the 2014-15 QSL season at a media briefing yesterday. The newly-promoted side, who last played in top flight four seasons ago, will open their campaign against Al Kharaitiyat today. Picture: Shaji
By Sahan Bidappa/Doha
While most teams gun for the silverware, there are others who set small targets. Al Shamal, who are back in the Qatar Stars League after a gap of four seasons, are one such team.
Having won the Qatargas league last season, Al Shamal got promoted to QSL and are gearing up for a tough season in the country’s top flight football league. The Silvio Diliberto-managed side is up against minnows Al Kharaitiyat, who finished 12th out of 14 teams last season, in their season-opener today.
The last time Al Shamal played in the QSL, they finished at the bottom with just eight points. That painful experience, where they conceded 72 goals from 22 matches, will keep them on their toes as they look to restore their pride this season.
Their Dutch coach Diliberto is well aware of the challenge the QSL poses as he said his team’s main aim was to avoid relegation and be competitive.
“We talked at the beginning. Our first goal is to stay in the QSL. We can’t say which ranking we should be on the QSL points table at the end of the season but I think the goal is to stay here. We have to see this week-by-week, that’s our goal for the season,” the 50-year-old said.
To strengthen their chances, Al Shamal have signed three players—Moumouni Dagano and Saif Boutahar—who have been part of QSL and Tunisian Maher Haddad, who has moved in from Club Africain Tunis.
While Dagano and Hadad are forwards, Boutahar of Netherlands is a midfielder.
Diliberto was of the opinion that the new enforcements has only shown how keen Al Shamal are to stay in the QSL.
“We are still not there. We still have to be stronger, I know. But we know the other teams have the same problem. There are small injury concerns but then there are players who make the team more competitive.
“For us, the goal is to stay in the league,” the coach added.
Diliberto cited the example of Al Ahli, a second division side that finished sixth in the last season, as an inspiration.
“Al Ahli also came from the second division and they had a great season last year. It will be nice to accomplish the same but I think for us our motive is to stay in the QSL,” Diliberto added.
On today’s Al Kharaitiyat game, Diliberto said: “For us it is a challenge to start well and to start well against Al Kharaitiyat. They will also be stronger than last year. For us the big challenge is to be competitive. We have to fight. We have to work hard every game. We cannot take anything lightly.”
Al Kharitiyat, meanwhile, will be hoping for a major turnaround this time, having struggled in the last two seasons. They are yet to win a major tournament and unless there is a big overhaul that trend is likely to continue.
They had retained Bertrand Marchand as coach and the Frenchman will be keen to set the team’s record straight.
Marchand has signed three new midfielders—Issiar Dia (Senegal), Hassan Abdel Fattah (Jordan) and forward Diba Ilunga (Congo)—who all have experience of playing in the QSL.
It remains to been seen though if the new players can change Al Kharitiyat’s fortunes.
