(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Armstrong Vas I The Peninsula
Doha: QNB Stars League (QSL) relegated side Al Markhiya aims to shift gears when they take on Qatargas League outfit Al Shamal while Al Kharaitiyat are eager to prove a point in their Emir Cup match today.
Al Kharaitiyat, which retained the QSL spot in the play-off with Al Wakrah, take on Al Shahania in the other match of the day.
Al Kharaitiyat coach Yasser Sebaei is a relieved man after knowing his side had secured the QSL spot for the next season.
'It is the first stress-free conference after three months. I thank God we were able to retain our place in QSL. Emir Cup is different. We will be playing Al Shahania knowing that I have trained them for four seasons. They are very ambitious. They have a lot of good performances and they were able to qualify for the first division. But we are under much much less pressure compared to the QSL sides earlier, Al Sebaei said during a press conference yesterday.
'We will play according to the high standards we have set for ourselves. We want to show to the football loving people that we deserve to be in the league (QSL). We have a lot of ambition and the Emir Cup is a prestigious competition and we wish to reach the next round, he added.
Al Kharaitiyat coach said his team will not let their guard down against Al Shahania, which has been promoted to next season's QSL.
'Al Shahania is not an easy team. Emir Cup games are different. They have all the elements of a good team if you take into account last year's performance in the QSL. They have some good skillful professional players, he said.
'We will miss four players, but we have full faith in the rest of the players. We have enough bench-strength to overcome the absence of key players and advance, said the Al Kharaitiyat coach.
Al Shahania's Spanish coach Jose Gonzales said it's time for his players to pick up a win in an official competition after posting positive results in the friendly matches.
'The match is a good test for us as we will be playing against a QSL side, as we have qualified for next season of the League. We have had some good performances against Al Rayyan, Al Ahli, and a visiting Chinese club. We want to go a step forward and post a win in the official competition, Gonzales said.
'We aim to win. We know it will be a difficult game. They have some good quality players but we would not be thinking about nothing but winning the match, he added.
Meanwhile, Al Markhiya's coach Adel Sellami said that his team is eyeing a ‘surprise' run the prestigious event.
'Al Markhiya will try to play a good level of football. Our ambition is to go far in this competition with the resources we have and we hope to spring a surprise. We have seen Al Shamal play - they play fair, clean and they have five excellent players. We have to be careful but we have faith in our abilities and resources and we will match with an equally good performance and enthusiasm, Sellimi said.
'We have been hit by injuries in all departments. But the absence due to injuries during the fag end of the season is a common thing. We are not going to be affected by the absence of some key players in important positions, he added.
His opposite number Silvio Diliberto warned Al Markhiya not to take his second division side for granted.
'We will play against a QSL team which obviously has a higher quality. But in football, everything is possible, not that they have to underestimate Al Shamal. We have quality players and we play decent football. So it will be an interesting game and we will try to do our best to win and qualify for the next round, he added.
MENAFN2404201800630000ID1096764402
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.