Doha: Al Arabi coach Luka Bonacic is hoping his new players get adapt to his style of play ‘very fast’ so that they pull it off very early into the season.
The Red Devils begin their QNB Stars league (QSL) campaign today against Al Khor and Bonacic is hoping for a positive result.
“The first three or four games is not about quality of the team. It’s more about players adapting to the situation,” Bonacic said on the eve of the match.
Last season, Al Arabi overcame a first-phase slump and finished a creditable seventh, thanks to Bonacic’s damage-control exercises.
“As a coach, I implement my plans slowly. I am happy that I could change the fortunes of Al Arabi ever since I took over the team last season. The seventh-place finish was very satisfying.”
In the current season, the Dream Team have recruited three new professionals — Iraqi Ahmed Ibrahim, Brazilian Mailson de Farias and Colombian Franco and all of them have to get into the groove quickly.
“Some of our overseas professional players arrived only two weeks ago. That is not ample time for them to adapt to the squad. I hope they will settle into their stride sooner rather than later. We go into our first match today and we had to act fast,” he added.
The opposite camp has a new coach — Tunisian Adel Sellimi who replaced compatriot Nassif Al Bayawi when the latter left for Al Kharaitiyat.
Sellimi said the pre-season camp in the Netherlands was a fruitful one and the team is ready for the league challenge.
“Our professional player quota is now complete. We have bolstered the squad by replacing Brazilian midfielder Madson with Iraqi medio Ahmed Yasin. Another Iraqi player Rebin Sulaka, Brazil’s Diego Costa and Gabon’s Ulysse Nadong are also on our roster.”
In the other match, Al Gharafa take on Qatar SC today at 17.35 at the Al Sadd Stadium.
The match assumes great importance to both teams as it is crucial for them to make a winning start to the new campaign.
Al Gharafa, who just about managed to finish fourth last season and thereby qualified for the elite Qatar Cup, have Frenchman Christian Gourcuff at the helm. He replaced Turk Bulent Uygun, who joined them midway through last season and helped The Cheetahs go up from the seventh position where the team stood at the end of first phase.
Qatar SC, who languished at the bottom half early last season, did quite well ever since Qatari coach Abdulla Mubarak replaced Argentinian Gabriel Calderon.
The Kings, who once stared at relegation, eventually ended up 10th.
Abdulla is known to bring the best out of his players and that helped the side a lot in last season’s QSL.
The clash between Al Sailiyah and Umm Salal will evoke keen interest among the fans.
Al Sailiyah were in the fourth place for most part of last season, but were pushed behind by Umm Salal in the fight for the fifth spot. In fact, The Orange Fortress were very much in the race for the fourth position, which they lost to Al Gharafa.
Al Sailiyah retained the services of Algerian Nadir Belhadj and signed Moroccan striker Rachid Tiberkanine.
Umm Salal have kept Ivorian Yannick Sagbo, Syrian Mahmoud Mawas and Moroccan Adel Rhaili on their roster while adding Nigerian striker Christian Osaguona. They mainly have Iraqis Ahmed Yasin and Rebin Sulaka, as well as Brazil’s Diego Oksta and Gabon’s Ulysse Nadong to deliver the goods.
