Madjid happy with his role at Lekhwiya

By Sports Reporter/Doha

During his time with the famous Scottish club, the Algerian defender was taught to win at all costs. Anything less than a victory was met with disappointment and frustration.

Now in his second year with Lekhwiya, Bougherra has experienced a similar pressure at the current QSL champions. Every game is approached with an expectancy to win; every tournament carries the burden of pressure to produce a medal.

Perhaps that is why Bougherra is so perfectly suited to the club.

Speaking ahead of today’s QSL fixture with El Jaish, Bougherra said: “When you sign for a club like this you are an example. I was brought here to try and help the league and show the young players about the game and teach them some technique.

“In my first season here we ended up as Champions so I was very happy with that. Now we have Champions League football to play also so I am here at the perfect time.

“Life in Doha is very different to life in Glasgow. Here the sun shines for 360 days. That does not happen in Scotland. It is very safe and a very nice life for my children. This is part of the reason I wanted to come here.

“After three years in Glasgow, I needed a break. I was playing all the time for Rangers and for Algeria. It was too much. Sometimes you need a small break.

“Every time I went outside you would see Rangers fans or Celtic fans. You don’t sleep normally in Glasgow. Here it is nice, it is relaxing and you can live your life away from football.“I miss these things sometimes, but I enjoy living a quiet life.”

Part of the attraction in coming to Qatar for Bougherra was to pass on his knowledge to the younger, less experienced players at Lekhwiya. The Algerian knows the QSL is a league still learning, still establishing itself in world football. But Bougherra is excited by the part he could play in helping the Qatar Star Leagues become a real force.

But the first thing on Bougherra’s to-do-list is trying to retain the QSL championship and stop the progress of Al Sadd.

“Everyone knows about Qatar and the way the football is progressing because of the World Cup,” Bougherra added.

“They want to make a big league, which will take time, but there are a lot of people who want to be part of this project. I had three fantastic years at Rangers but when Lekhwiya came for me I felt it was a good time to go. This club reminds of Rangers because we want to win every single game. If we lose on game it is a crisis. I like that situation. “Lekhwiya have given me this opportunity to progress now and I am happy with the challenge. I have won four titles in-a-row now. It’s a good feeling, it makes me happy. To win five will be difficult because we started this season very badly.

“It is possible though. We are only six points behind Al Sadd and we have a lot of games left to try and win it. “I think we are all concentrating very hard on the Champions League, this will be a good challenge for us. We will go to different countries and play different teams so it will be nice.

“I have played in Africa, played in Europe and now in Asia. I am very lucky to have played football in so many different places. This is something nice to look back on when I no longer play football.“People think about Qatar and think it is easy. It is not easy. Part of my job is educating the young players and that’s something I enjoy very much but it is very hard.”

To be part of that story Bougherra must play. After sustaining injury in June, the Algeria centre-back has not played a competitive game for seven months. Now fit and back to his best, the Lekhwiya star is determined to make up for lost time.

He said:  “Every club in Europe has a story, they have had something happen to them.

“That history is being built just now in Qatar football and that sort of thing takes time to find love between the fan and the club.“I have three homes. Here, France and Algeria. If I’m honest I want to finish my life here. I love it in Qatar. I love it here, although what I have not loved is being injured.

“Last year we missed many points in the second half of the season but if we can win four or five games then I think we can finish winners.“We have a very tight league here. You never can tell what’s going to happen but that is part of the excitement.”

“It helps that I am fit. It was a long time to be injured. It was my first bad injury and it wasn’t easy because you work very hard trying to get fit while all your friends are out on the pitch. But it gave me mental strength. I learned more from it.”