Al Sadd on Monday started preparations for their QNB Stars League Week 13 home game against Al Sailiya, scheduled for Saturday. All players, except the injured duo of striker Baghdad Bounedjah and midfielder Ahmed Sayyar, attended the training session under the watchful eyes of Portuguese coach Jesualdo Ferreira.
Al Sadd dropped two valuable points after being held by Al Markhiya in Week 12 and are level with Al Rayyan on 28 points, four behind leaders Al Duhail. Both Bounedjah and Sayyar are still undergoing rehabilitation programme and are doubtful starters against Al Sailiya.
Bounedjah has been missing in action ever since he injured his leg during their Week 9 match against Al Duhail, while Sayyar pulled his back muscle during training.
Brazilian Oliveira joins Al Markhiya
Al Markhiya strengthened their forward line by signing Brazilian Eric de Oliveira till the end of this season. The Brazilian attacking midfielder has vast experience playing in the leagues of Ukraine, Japan, Romania and Saudi Arabia. He last played for Romanian side Viitorul Constanta. The Al Markhiya team management decided to bolster their offence because they are the side to have scored the least number of goals (eight) in the QNB Stars League. Markhiya, who pulled off a goalless draw with second-placed Al Sadd last week, to be placed 11th on eight points, will host Qatar SC next at the Al Arabi Stadium on Friday.
Qatar SC sign Brazilian striker Fabiano
Brazilian Patrick Fabiano has joined Qatar SC. The striker signed the deal till this season-end with the possibility of extending it in the presence of Football Head Khalid Saeed al-Mannai, his deputy Ali Rashid al-Ateeq. Fabiano, who last played for Kuwait SC, was one of the most experienced strikers in the Kuwaiti league. Fabiano said he was happy to be playing in Qatar and thanked the Qatar SC management for the interest shown in him. “My goal is to help the team as best as I can. Qatar SC have the ability to move up in the table and I’ll do my best ,” said Fabiano.
QFA revises best-player voting process
The Qatar Football Association’s (QFA) Awards Committee Board meeting, chaired by its president Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani on Monday, reviewed many observations made during the last season and took a number of decisions.
The most important among them was the change in voting mechanism to select the 2017-18 season’s best player and best Under-23 player. It will have two stages: Stage 1: After the end of QNB Stars League’s first phase. Stage 2: Immediately after the end of second phase. It may be recalled that the voting process in the previous seasons consisted of just one stage — after the end of league. Now, at the end of second phase, the nomination forms will be reviewed and approved by the QFA Awards Committee Board and winners will be declared in each category.
However, voting for the best coach will be held only once, after the end of 2017-18 season QNB Stars League. The new voting mechanism is aimed at involving voters throughout the league and giving a better chance for players in both categories to score points rather than only in the second phase. Participants in the voting process are: QNB Stars League team coaches, Qatar national team coach, Qatar Olympic team coach, team managers, media representatives, representative of the QFA and Qatar Stars League management, President and Board members of the QFA.
Al Sadd players train ahead of their QNB Stars League match against Al Sailiya this Saturday.
