The third edition of the popular Qatargas U-23 League will kick off today, officials announced yesterday at a joint press conference held by The Qatar Football Association (QFA) and Qatargas at Al Bidda Tower. The launch ceremony was attended by Khalid Mubarak al-Kuwari, Director of Marketing and Communications at QFA, Ali Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, Public Relations Manager at Qatargas, along with representatives from QFA and participating teams.
The third edition will feature 12 teams: Al Ahli, Al Sadd, Al Duhail, Al Rayyan, Al Arabi, Al Gharrafa, Qatar, Umm Salal, Al Khor, Al Sailiya, Al Wakrah, and Al Shahania. Speaking at the press conference, al-Kuwari said: “The Qatar Football Association and Qatargas have a long-standing partnership. Qatargas U-23 League is one of the fruitful results of this unique partnership and emphasises the depth of the relationship between the QFA and Qatargas.
 “Qatargas is the world’s premier liquefied natural gas company and is one of the key sponsors of QFA, having them on board is an important achievement which we aim it continues for many years ahead as it’s part of the QFA’s 2021 vision.”
Al Kass will broadcast the matches and produce a special program focused on covering all aspects and highlights of the league, featuring interviews with players, coaches and other club officials. “Preparations for Qatargas U-23 League have started after the end of the last season, in which a full-fledged marketing and media plan has been put in place in cooperation with our partners Qatargas and Al Kass, to showcase a perfect league. I thank Al Kass for its great efforts in promoting the league and the successful relationship throughout QFA’s matches and competitions,” al-Kuwari added.
Ali al-Sulaiti, PR Manager at Qatargas said: “Qatargas is delighted to be part of this exciting league that brings together some of the most aspiring young footballers in Qatar. We are hopeful that Qatargas’ support for the league will go a long way in taking Qatar’s football to new heights, especially as the country is getting ready to host the World Cup in 2022. I thank the Qatar Football Association for providing us this opportunity to be part of the State of Qatar’s efforts to be one of the world’s leading sports destinations. We are optimistic that our cooperation with the QFA will ultimately benefit football and the growing talents in this important game.”
The third edition will kick off today evening, and will see three encounters in the first week. Umm Salal will play against Al Arabi, while Al Khor will face Al Ahli, and defending champions of the previous edition and Al Duhail will play against Al Rayyan. Matches will be played at 6:15pm in Al Khor, Al Sailiya and Al Arabi stadiums. Week 1 matches will continue tomorrow with Al Sailiya vs. Al Sadd and Al Gharrafa vs. Qatar SC, and will be played in Al Shamal and Al Gharrafa stadiums at 6:15pm. Week 1 will conclude with the third match which will see Al Shahania take on Al Wakrah at Al Gharrafa Stadium at 8pm.
Week 2 and 3 will be played on 23 September and 30 September. All matches will be played on Mondays and Tuesdays of every week. Week 4 of the league will begin on 21 October and matches will be announced at a later stage.
Al Duhail were crowned champions of the first and second editions after a long and deserving battle. It finished the season with a total point of 56 after securing 22 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses. Al Duhail holds the record of most goals scored after scoring a total of 96 goals. They also had the strongest defence line, and conceded only 21 goals.
The ranking of the team is decided based on the number of points collected throughout their matches and the team that collect the highest number of points will be crowned as champions of the league.