Qatar SC and Al Sailiya are coming off defeats and they will be keen to get back to winning ways. Qatar SC coach Abdulla Mubarak was hoping that the 37-year-old Eto’o will make an instant impact against Sailiya.
“Now we have the full team against Al Sailiya with the addition of Eto’o. We felt the absence of a strong striker and we have got him. He is a great player who can guide fellow players. I am sure Eto’o will be a special help for our young attackers,” he said.
“This is a very important game for us. Sailiya are a good side. They are consistent in their performance, even though they lost to Al Gharafa in their last match. We have assessed them and know their strengths and weaknesses,” he added.
Mubarak said the arrival of Eto’o gives him more attacking options. “I told my players to believe in themselves. I explained the importance of applying the finishing touches in a better way. We now have more options in attack. Our defence is also good. We chose players according to our requirements,” the coach said.
Meanwhile, Sailiya, who lost to Al Gharafa in the last round, too have bolstered their squad by roping in Brazilian defender Mauricio Ramos. Al Sailiya coach Sami Trabelsi said his team’s target is to get back to winning ways and improve their goal-scoring skills.
“We lost the second match and our target now is to get back to winning ways. Qatar SC did very well in their first match against Al Gharafa. Though they lost to Al Ahli in Week 2, we are wary of them. We will try to put up an organised game and concentrate more on our finishing. We missed a lot of scoring opportunities while losing to Gharafa in our last match.
“It was not just our strikers who missed chances. Our midfielders too were found wanting when it came to finishing,” Trabelsi said.
Sailiya have good strikers in Rachid Tiberkanine and Abdulqadir Ilyas, but they also have to counter the pace of Qatar SC players such as Osama Omari and Hussein Ali.
Trabelsi was pleased to see a big name in Eto’o to play in the QNB Stars League. “Qatar SC have added Samuel Eto’o to their ranks. He is such a big name who has played for top clubs and accomplished many achievements. I welcome him to Qatar football,” he said.
In the first match of the day, Umm Salal will take on Al Ahli at the Al Sadd Stadium. Umm Salal are eyeing their first victory, after losing in the opening round to Al Sailiya and drawing with Al Rayyan in their second match. The Orange Fortress will be without their spearhead Christian Osaguona due to an injury. They may also miss the services of Mohamed Sayed, Bazman Awad and Adel Alawi, due to injuries. Umm Salal coach Laurent Banide said his team will play offensively against Al Ahli.
“We had a good week of preparations in which we worked on many aspects of our game following our drawn encounter with Al Rayyan. We could take an important point from that match. Any point is valuable,” Banide said.
“We are ready to take on Al Ahli. We know it will be tough against them as they are coming from a crucial win over Qatar SC. But then, we know there are tough matches. If you want to win, you must do more with the ball. We will play an offensive game and strike the right balance between attack and defence. We respect Al Ahli. They have a lot of quality players, especially Dutchman Nigel de Jong,” he added.
Al Ahli, meanwhile, will look to record their second straight win, having beaten Qatar SC in the last round. The Brigadiers coach Milan Macala said they would continue to miss injured Iranian player Mohammed Reza. The good form of Ali Ferydoon, who netted both goals against Qatar SC, augurs well for them.
Macala sounded upbeat ahead of the game and said they are prepared to face Umm Salal. “We had normal training during the week. We are prepared to face Umm Salal. They are strong opponents. Two games are not enough to assess the overall quality of the QNB Stars League. New players have arrived and you cannot predict the quality of the league two months down the line,” Ahli coach said.
Macala was not happy with constant injuries to his players. “I am very disappointed that we always have problems with players’ injuries and suspensions. We will continue to miss Iranian professional player Mohammed Reza. And Khalil cannot play against Umm Salal because of his red card in the last match. Thank God, he got only one-game suspension. But I am feeling good with this side,” he said.
Ahli coach said he was gunning a top four finish this season. “Al Sadd and Al Duhail are at a different level in the competition. We must find a system to restrict their goal-scoring spree. Four other teams, including us, are in another race – to be in the top four,” said Macala.