Having
lost both their matches in the QNB Stars League this season, Al Arabi
will be looking to bounce back when they host Qatar SC today. Al Arabi’s
new head coach Kais Yaakoubi hoped his team can turn the tide and get
first points on board. “After our defeat to Al Duhail, the team needs to
start turning things around. We hope the game against Qatar SC will be
our gate into winning ways,” said Yaakoubi
“We have a very healthy
atmosphere in the changing room and the training ground. We are working
hard and you will see the team’s real face in the next game,” said the
Tunisian, when asked about the squad’s morale ahead of the game. “We
looked at Qatar SC last two games and the team played very well and we
respect our opponent. I believe the both teams are at the same level and
I hope we can take all three points,” he added.
After getting their
first win in the last week against Al Markhiya, Qatar SC head coach
Gabriel Calderon says it is important to build on from their results
last week. “Every match is difficult. Al Arabi need to get their first
win and we need to keep winning as well. It’s a difficult game for both
teams,” the Argentine said.
About his team’s recent performance,
Calderon said: “In football everything is possible. We always look to
improve and we had a bit of luck in the last game and hope we can
improve and get more good results.”
Calderon spoke about his first
impression of the league.“The league is very similar to every league in
the world. You have two or three good teams because of the high profile
players they have, however, the rest of the teams are at the same
level,” said Calderon.
In another match, Al Ahli will be aiming for
their first win of the season, when they take on Umm Salal. The
Brigadiers Spanish coach Joaquin Caparros said the team has be working
hard in training. “We have one point from two games, all the players
have been working hard in the training ground and we’ll be looking to
get our first win against Umm Salal,” he said.
Ahli are hampered by
injuries to number of players. “We have a number of injuries. I will be
speaking to the team doctor and see which players we will be available
ahead of the game against Umm Salal,” Caparros said.
Caparros
revealed his ambition in the league and some of the club’s long term
plans. “To be one of the top four, you need to have a full squad without
injuries. We are working hard to build a team and are working with the
management of the club to have a team that can compete at the level we
want,” he said.
Meanwhile, Umm Salal will be looking to continue
their impressive start to the season. The Orange Fortress head coach
Mahmoud Jaber expected Ahli to be a tough opponent.
The Egyptian
said: “We are ready for the game. We had a day break after the last game
and resumed our training. The game is a difficult one and we hope we
can get good results before the break.”
“The team is very ambitious,
we had a good season last year and we are looking to improve on that and
hopefully this year we can achieve a lot. The club is very stable. We
feel like a family and the relationship between the management and the
players is very healthy.”
Jaber spoke about how close the league
this year will be. “The League is very hard this year. All the teams are
looking impressive. I have watched most of the games and everyone is
performing at a similar level regardless of the results,” he said.
Fixtures
Today: Al Arabi vs Qatar SC at Al Arabi Stadium at 5:45pm; Al Ahli vs Umm Salal at Al Ahli
Stadium at 7:55pm
Qatar SC head coach Gabriel Calderon (left) and his Al Arabi countepart Kais Yaakoubi speak at a press conference.