Doha: Table toppers Al Gharafa and fifth-placed Al Wakrah meet in a key week 10 clash of the Qatar Stars League at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium today.
Al Gharafa enter the match brimming with confidence, having collected 22 points from seven wins, one draw and one defeat. They lead second-placed Al Shamal by four points, who play Al Shahania on Sunday.
Pedro Martins’ side beat Qatar SC 2-1 in the previous week, but will be without several key players in today’s encounter. Joselu and Ahmed Al-Ganehi will miss the home encounter due to injuries, while Abdullah Al-Saai remains unavailable.
South Korean defender Jang Hyun-Soo will also miss the action as he is suspended following a red card in the last round.
Al Wakrah, on the other hand, currently sit in fifth spot with 15 points, having won four, drawn three and lost two. They drew 2-2 with Al Shamal in the last round and will aim for full points as they look to enter the top four.
During a pre-match press conference yesterday, coach Martins stressed the challenge ahead. Martins said the recent 15-day break, which saw the absence of foreign players due to international duty, provided opportunities for young players and members of Qatar’s U-17 World Cup squad to join training. He said he expects a demanding contest against the strong Al Wakrah side.
Al Wakrah’s Spanish coach Vicente Moreno indicated that he knows the depth of today’s challenge.
“Everyone knows how strong Al Gharafa are, currently leading the standings. This match will be against an excellent team with very good players and a very good coach,” Moreno said.
However, Moreno said it is important to focus on his team’s strengths because Al Wakrah have very good players despite recognizing the abilities of Al Gharafa.
The match will kick-off at 7.30pm.
In the opening match of the round, Al Duhail will face Al Ahli at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium at 5.30pm. Al Duhail currently sit in eighth place with 12 points, while Al Ahli are in ninth with nine points.
