Alain Dioko recently picked up his second Mansour Muftah award (QSL top scorer) at the Qatar Football Association annual awards.
A day after Al Gharafa finalised an agreement with Pericles Chamusca to assume the position of head coach for the 2015-16 QSL season, the club signed up Al Ahli’s Alain Dioko to strengthen their ranks.
The Congolese striker came to the Qatar Stars League (QSL) back in 2011, joining Al Ahli Sports Club and very quickly became a fan favourite with his high tally of goals. In the past two seasons he has been the official QSL top scorer.
Dioko picked up his second Mansour Muftah award (QSL top scorer) at the Qatar Football Association annual awards having scored 25 goals in 26 appearances for Al Ahli. At the function, Dioko said, “This season was hard, and it was not easy to score so many goals, but with my teammates’ help and support I was able to get many goals. This award belongs to all of my teammates too.”
Al Gharafa has got a player who scores in almost every single game and strikes fear into any opposition defence. However the Cheetahs don’t play a counter attacking style and so Dioko will have to alter his game and so whether he will be as deadly as he was at Al Ahli remains to be seen.
Last season Dioko scored 52% of Al Ahli’s goals, which was the highest goal contribution of any player in the Qatar Stars League. The striker has good stamina boasting the 7th best average sprint distance last season according data provided by PROZONE, the QSL’s preferred statistical partner.
Meanwhile, Brazilian Chamusca takes over from temporary head coach Bertrand Marchand.
Chamusca was previously the head coach of Al Arabi Sports Club and El Jaish Sports Club.
Al Gharafa will be hoping that the Brazilian tactician will be able to breathe new life into the club who in recent years have seen their dominance in the league steadily decline.
Fernandez Joins Khor as new Head coach
Frenchman Jean Fernandez has signed a one-year contract with Al Khor Sports Club to officially assume the position of head coach at the club. He replaces Romanian Lazlo Boloni who had been with the team for three seasons.
The signing ceremony was carried out during a meeting which was held with the general secretary Mohamed Meqled al-Mrikhi earlier this week. The contract can be extended if things go well and both sides agree.
The new head coach was expected to leave the country yesterday after signing the contract. He will then return to Doha before heading back out of Qatar to Austria where the pre-season training will commence with his new team over the summer.
