Coaches of Al Gharafa and Al Ahli spoke to the media ahead of their 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League Week 3 match.
Al Gharafa's Pedro Martins said, "The players are in good condition and perform well, physically and psychologically, and we are ready for the match. We know very well how important it is.
"I am personally very happy with this group of players and I think that everyone who watched Al Gharafa enjoyed the matches, and that was evident in the recent matches. We saw the quality of performance and a lot of goalscoring opportunities, and the same for the competitors, we have to admit that. But we are present and we will be at the top of our focus because ahead of us is a tough match.
"It must be reminded once again that the league is improving a lot, and the quality of the teams has become higher. The Al Ahli match will be difficult against good competitor who are also trying to play, and this is what we want. Of course, winning is important to us.
"We are waiting for a player in the midfield and this is the position we are currently looking for, but we prefer to choose the right player with specifications that suit our way of playing and our identity. This makes it more difficult to find this type of player and therefore we will not rush to choose.
"We talk in the dressing room that our fans enjoy our matches and it is our responsibility to offer them good matches. It is also a wonderful thing for us and I hope that their presence continues strongly again because their presence helps the team. This is important because Al Gharafa have a great reputation in Qatar and we have to keep it up," said Martins.
Al Ahli coach Nebojsa Jovovic said that it is necessary for the team to provide the technical level that guarantees it achieving its goal in the match, which is victory.
"In view of the last match against Al Duhail, Al Ahli played a good second half and will have to improve performance more and present a good level befitting the match and achieve the teams goal by obtaining the three points," said Nebojsa.
