Talal al-Boloushi said he is confident that his Al Arabi side will bounce back from their opening round defeat to Sailiya, when they take on Al Duhail in the QNB Stars League today. Ahead of the evening match at Al Duhail stadium, the Qatari veteran midfielder admitted that a match against the hosts will be a real test for his side.
“Al Duhail are one of the best teams in Qatar, the majority of their side won the league last season. That said, I believe that on our day Al Arabi can be stubborn opposition for any team in the league, we will be hungry to make up for our defeat to Al Sailiya,” al-Boloushi said.
“We have put the defeat to Sailiya well behind us now. This match will not effect the side moving forward as the season is long and we must now focus on our match this weekend,” he added, when asked if the opening day defeat will affect the mentality of the squad heading into the Duhail match.
Boloushi said Al Duhail has one of the best teams in the league and pose a huge threat to his side. “Al Duhail have one of the best squads in the league and they showed a lot of character to win last weekend against Qatar SC. I still feel that we have that same quality in the Al Arabi squad and can cause any teams problems. We must be organised and focused to do so,” he said.
Boloushi also hoped to stay injury-free this season. “I hope that this season I do not suffer any serious injuries and that Al Arabi are able to deliver consistent performances in the league. The fans deserve this and I hope they can really support us over the season,” the midfielder said when asked about his personal targets from the season.
Boloushi predicted that the side can have a respectable finish in the QNB Stars League standings, come the end of the season. “Every team in the league wishes to win the title, and that is the same at Al Arabi. The season has just started, so we are optimistic we can do well. Importantly we need the fans and I believe we can pay them back with a trophy this season,” he signed off. (qsl.com.qa)