Al Shahania finished the QSL season in 12th place with 22 points while Qatar SC ensured a play-off spot after finishing second in the Qatar Gas League.
Igor Stimac, head coach of Al Shahania, is grateful for the opportunity given to his team to participate in the playoff.
“We are very happy for the chance to play in the playoff. It’s another 90 minutes to prove that we belong in the QSL, to prove we are well organized and deserve to stay in the QSL,” Stimac said at a press conference yesterday.
Speaking about his opponents, Stimac added: “I have seen them (Qatar SC) play a couple of times and their most recent matches. They are a great club with great history; they have good quality players and have a lot of potential. They have to respected otherwise you will be punished. We analysed their weaknesses and strengths and we use this information to play the best match we can.
“Since I arrived in December I feel like everybody in our club is like one big family. I have trust in my players as they have improved their game since we started working together. We need to improve in some parts like scoring but I am quite happy with what we have achieved and I hope Al Shahania becomes an integral part of Qatari football,” added the Croatian tactician.
Speaking about the availability of Rahim Zahivi, the head coach added, “We had big expectations with Rahim but with injury problems he wasn’t lucky. We are expecting him to take part in some of the game tomorrow. We will be very happy if he is involved in the game.”
Alvaro Mejia, the captain of Al Shahania, was also present at the press conference and echoed the points made by his coach.
“It’s a chance to stay in the league. It’s a final and we know Qatar SC is a good team. We believe in our team and the coach. We have a tough game ahead of us and we will give it our all in the 90 minutes.
“We have to take care about everything in the game. We analysed the opponent and we train accordingly. It’s a good game to play for us, it will have good atmosphere and it’s nice to be part of it,” added the Spanish defender.
Qatar Sports Club representatives were unavailable for the press conference.