Table-toppers Lekhwiya are just three wins away from lifting their fifth Qatar Stars League title. They take on El Jaish in one of the standout fixtures of round 24. Red Knights coach Djamel Belmadi spoke with the local media ahead of the crunch match.
The Algerian boss opened up the press conference stressing the importance of the tie against their local rivals. “Three games left till the end of the season and it’s just a two-point difference between us and Al Sadd. It’s a key game for us and we have a big desire to win this match.”
Belmadi also revealed that he was confident his side could continue their form in the League, despite leading scorer Yusef El Arabi being ruled out for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury. “We proved this season that we can play without key players. Our strength is our squad. It’s not a major blow for my side. I have players who can step up and cover his absence. Hopefully we will show this again tomorrow.”
Mental strength
“We are used to the situation of international players being away for two weeks, but that’s a regular feature with a team like ours. Psychologically, the Qatar national team players are a little down but now they are back with the club, they can start again and focus on lifting the League title” added Belmadi when asked if the absence of international players affected Lekhwiya’s preparation for the match.
As for El Jaish, they can confirm their place in the Qatar Cup with a victory whilst simultaneously denting the title hopes of their local rivals. Jaish coach Sabri Lamouchi spoke with the local media ahead of the match.
“The preparations have gone well, we played two friendly games. We have a fully fit side and we are ready for the difficult match. Lekhwiya have won everything in Qatar, and my side is motivated for this game,” said Lamouchi.
“We just want to focus on ourselves and we want to finish the League strongly. At the end of the day if Lekhwiya or Al Sadd win the League it doesn’t matter to my side” added Lamouchi when asked about his side’s say in the destination of the QSL title.
Lamouchi ended the press conference with a word on his Uzbekistan international winger Sardor Rashidov who has enjoyed his best season to date in the QSL. “Rashidov has the quality to be the best player in Qatar. He is fast and has the quality to change the game and a match at any time”