Doha: Al Gharafa coach Pedro Martins expressed hope to achieve a victory in the upcoming match against Um Salal on Sunday at the Thani bin Jassim Stadium in Week 20 of the Expo Stars League.
Speaking to the media ahead of their 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League Week 20 match against Umm Salal, Al Gharafa coach Pedro Martins said, “Normal preparations and everyone was working with high concentration during training, especially since everyone has great ambitions to achieve many things for Al Gharafa.
“The Umm Salal team has good players, especially in the frontline. I know many of them because they previously played in the Portuguese League. I would say to my players to be patient and fully focused, especially at that stage of the competition. What the players will offer is what will determine their fate in the league. We need everyone to be ready for this type of match, hoping not to feel any kind of regret at the end of the season. We have to pay attention as a difficult match awaits us.
“Homam Al Ameen w
ill continue to be absent due to injury, in addition to the absence of Abdullah Al Khatam and Seifeldeen Hassan due to his Olympic duty. Uruguayan midfielder Fabricio Diaz will also be absent due to suspension for receiving four yellow cards, while the rest of the players will be ready for the match,” said Martins.
Umm Salal coach Patrice Carteron said, “Facing Al Gharafa requires a high concentration of players and we go into the match with the team spirit that we were accustomed to before. Umm Salal finished last season with 18 points, so obtaining 20 points so far with several matches remaining will push us forward, especially since the team played a great match against Al Rayyan and could have achieved a good result had it not been for the circumstances.
“A decline in performance is normal and common in football, and we must return to what we were before, especially since Umm Salal youth have great potential, and we can achieve fifth place if we achieve good results during the coming period.
“The Al Gh
arafa match is extremely important for both teams mainly because the opponent is a good team, and the match will be difficult and requires us to be at the highest levels of concentration and with the same spirit with which we fought some matches in order to achieve a positive result.
“Al Gharafa are a big team and are favourites in this match. For this reason, we can still play without any pressure. The most important thing in such matches is the result and to give our best and end the season on a better note,” said Carteron.
Source: Qatar News Agency