After a great season, QSL champions Al Rayyan have further reasons to cheer for the coming season.
Yesterday, the club announced that it had secured the services of their four foreign players for the next season. The team will be heading to Spain for a training camp from July 28 to August 20.
After winning the Falcon Shield, and winning the maximum number of awards at the Qatar Football Association awards ceremony earlier this month, the club’s Head of Football, Ali Salem Afifa, told QSL that he’s expecting the 2016-17 season to be a tough one.
“The 2015-16 season was a very special season for our club. Al Rayyan won the league after 21 years and broke many records in the QSL,” he said. “I am expecting the next season to be more difficult, and we must prepare in the best way since Al Rayyan are going to be participating in the AFC Champions League next season.”
On whether there are going to be any changes in the squad for next season, Ali Salem said: “We have renewed (coach Jorge) Fossati’s contract. He will provide the club with his needs in terms of players and it will be co-ordinated with the club board.”
He added that the club would be retaining its four international players. “The four international players will be returning including Spain’s Sergio Garcia, Paraguayan Caceres, South Korean Koo Myung and Uruguayan Gonzalo Vieira. All of them will continue with Rayyan next season,” he informed.
“Uruguayan player Gonzalo Vieira, whose contract ended after one season, there is an agreement to extend his contract and we wish him and all the players luck in the coming season,” he added.
He said the coach will take a call on the local players. “We are waiting for the vision of the coach to see which players he needs for the next season. We are here to support his vision. We would also like to thank the fans for their support this season and we hope the same kind of support to spur us on again next season.”
Ali Salem further informed that the club will hold its training camp in Spain. “The camp will take place in Spain and it will be from the 28th of July until the 20th of August. There will be some friendly games as well as technical and physical training. The team will start its training in Qatar from the 10th of July.”
Qatar juniors down Stade de Reims 2-0
Qatar junior football team beat French side Stade de Reims 2-0 in a friendly match in Paris on Wednesday. Coached by Oscar Cano, the squad is in France to prepare for the AFC Under-19 Championship to be played in Bahrain this October.
Qatar are the defending champions of the event when they beat North Korea in the final in Myanmar in October 2014. Bassam Hissam and Ahmed al-Mohannadi scored the two goals for the Qatar juniors. Coach Cano made numerous changes to the squad to give the players maximum opportunity of getting match practice.
