Doha: Al Arabi need a victory against Umm Salal in their final game of the season today to finish fourth at the QNB Stars League (QSL), and coach Younes Ali said his team will do its best to claim maximum points at the Al Gharafa Stadium.
Al Arabi are fourth with 33 points, with Al Gharafa – who will face relegation-threatened Al Sailiya today – breathing down their necks with 30 points to finish among the top four.
“For us, it is an important game, we are looking for the three points to seal the fourth place which we deserve, especially after the circumstances that the team went through the entire season,” coach Younes Ali said yesterday.
“To seal our position in the top four, we must win the final match against Umm Salal. Al Arabi have presented great levels throughout the season and the fourth place is officially postponed to the last match. The chance is still 50/50 and we have to go into the match in order to win,” he added.
Umm Salal, who lost 1-6 to Al Duhail in the penultimate round, are placed sixth with 25 points. Their coach Wesam Rizik said his team is keen to end the season on a high note.
“A difficult confrontation awaits us against a strong team and we hope to achieve a satisfactory result in order to end the season well in view of our recent negative results,” Rizik said yesterday.
“Winning and collecting the three points is the right of both teams as each team seeks to finish the season well after a busy and strong journey. We will not be satisfied except by collecting the three points,” he added.
Meanwhile, Al Gharafa coach Andrea Stramaccioni predicted a tough clash against Al Sailiya, who will be looking for a victory to avoid relegation as they are just ahead of bottom side Al Khor on goal difference with 13 points.
“I do not agree that the match will be easy. Rather, it will be very difficult for two reasons. The first is that Al Sailiya play in order to avoid relegation to the second division. The second is that they did not lose in the league during a number of recent matches, which confirms that they were technically very good in the second leg,” said Stramaccioni.
“As far as we are concerned, we are coming from a strong match against Qatar SC in the Amir Cup quarter-final and not all of our players are in good shape, so it will be a difficult match. Certainly all players are important to us and, as you know, we rely on our plan on three defensive players. I am happy with the return of Amro Seraj,” he added.
Al Sailiya coach Sami Trabelsi hoped for an upset against Al Gharafa.
“The match will be crucial because it is the last chance for us. We must achieve a positive result to hold on to the hope of staying in the First Division (QNB Stars League),” said Trabelsi.
“Al Gharafa have outstanding local and foreign professional players. We are ready for the match and the goal must be achieved, which is to win. Each player understands the importance and difficulty of the match,” he added.
QSL Standings
RK CLUB M PTS
1 Al Sadd 21 59
2 Al Duhail 21 46
3 Al Wakrah 21 37
4 Al Arabi 21 33
5 Al Gharafa 21 30
6 Umm Salal 21 25
7 Al Ahli 21 24
8 Qatar SC 21 23
9 Al Shamal 21 22
10 Al Rayyan 21 21
11 Al Sailiya 21 13
12 Al Khor 21 13
Round 22: Fixtures
Today
Qatar SC vs Al Khor
At Al Khor Stadium (19:10)
Al Duhail vs Al Ahli
At Al Gharafa Stadium (17:00)
Umm Salal vs Al Arabi
At Al Gharafa Stadium (19:10)
Al Sailiya vs Al Gharafa
At Al Ahli Stadium (19:10)
Tomorrow
Al Rayyan vs Al Shamal
At Qatar SC Stadium (17:00)
Al Sadd vs Al Wakrah
At Qatar SC Stadium (19:10)
