Al Rayyan, who finished second to Al Duhail in the recently concluded 2029-2020 QNB Stars League, will take on Al Sailiya in their first match of the new season today with coach Diego Aguirre exuding confidence.
Uruguayan Aguirre, who was declared best coach of the 2019-2020 season, spoke of the importance of making a strong start to the tournament in the hope of winning the title which they narrowly missed last season.
“I am confident that Al Rayyan are able to repeat what we did last season. It is very important for us to start strongly and win the first match. If you remember, we drew our first three matches last season and wasted early points. We do not want that this time around and I trust my players,” said Aguirre at his pre-match press conference.
“Al Sailiya are a good team with talented players and they have a great coach. We all know the strengths of Al Sailiya, who always compete for top positions, and we have to be on top of our focus and readiness while facing them.”
Al Rayyan player Abdulrahman al-Harazi said, “We are ready and there is nothing that will make us retreat. The Al Sailiya team is different this season as they reinforced the squad and have stability on the technical front. Last season, we could not win the title, but we are satisfied with what we did. We congratulate Al Duhail on winning the league shield. Al Rayyan always enter the competitions to win them.”
Al Sailiya coach Sami Trabelsi was also optimistic.
“We are competing in the new season with a different ambition and mentality, to win the league title, starting with the match against Al Rayyan in the first round. It is considered as a difficult confrontation by all standards, but our goal is to win. We know that Al Sailiya are a strong team capable of constantly competing for titles,” said Tunisian Trablesi.
“Al Sailiya this season are different from last season with the inclusion of many distinguished players who are able to help the team achieve its goal – compete for top positions.
“We were not satisfied with our fifth-place finish last season. Everyone, especially the players, is fully convinced that we presented a good level and our attacking woes let us down,” added Trabelsi.
Al Sailiya captain Majdi Siddiq said, “The preparations went off well for the Al Rayyan. It will certainly be a strong match for both sides. We are seeking a successful start to the league and the first three points, we are fully prepared for this encounter.”
In another match today, Al Gharafa will take on Qatar Sports Club.
“We have not made many changes to the squad from last season. We are ready to do better than last season and look forward to competing strongly and achieving better results,” said Al Gharafa coach Slavisa Jokanovic.
“We have seen how Qatar SC performed last season and we are following the developments that have happened there. We know that they have lost the services of some players, while some other players, including Sardor Rashidov, will continue with the team. He is one of their most important players,” Jokanovic added.
“But in the first place, we must pay attention to our style of play and focus on what we want from the match. If the Qatar SC team plays in a different way than we know, then we should do our duty and provide solutions,” said Jokanovic.
Al Gharafa player Sofiane Hanni said, “We have the ambition and desire to present our best in the new season. The first match always has special importance and therefore we must prepare well and fight it out, especially since we are facing a difficult opponent. We have to focus on our capabilities and play our game.”
Al Sailiya coach Sami Trablesi
