(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Al Duhail new manager Nabil Maaloul will have a huge legacy to leave up to, as the defending QNB Stars League champions kick-off their campaign today.
Maaloul, who has taken over from Duhail's long-serving and highly successful coach Djamel Belmadi, did not have a great to start to his tenure. The Tunisian's first match in charge ended up in a defeat to Al Rayyan in the Sheikh Jassim Cup on Wednesday.
Al Duhail have been handed an easy first league match against minnows Shahania today and Maaloul will be desperate for a victory. Under Belmadi, Duhail won three trophies last season, eased into the AFC Champions League quarter-finals and are a formidable force in Asia. For Maaloul, the challenge will be to ensure the Qatar champions leave up to the high standards set by his Algerian predecessor.
Winners of the Qatar league title six times in the last few years, Al Duhail will be a massive force in the new season as well. But they are expected to have fierce battles with Al Sadd besides former champions Al Rayyan and Al Gharafa.
The Red Knights' star-studded squad consists of Moroccan striker Yousef el Arabi, South Korean playmaker Nam Tae-Hee and Brazilian defender Lucas Mendes. However, they will be without their Tunisian talisman Youssef Msakni, who suffered a serious knee ligament injury in his knee towards the end of last season and had to miss the World Cup for Tunisia. Msakni is expected to be back only in November or December.
On the eve of the match against prompted side Shahania, Maaloul said Duhail were ready to launch their campaign and defend the title. 'We have reached the fifth week of preparations and we are ready for the new season. We are facing Second Division champions Al Shahania first and certainly the confrontation will be difficult even though we are the defending champions. We will try to retain the QNB Stars League title, he said yesterday.
'We also have games against Al Khor and Al Rayyan before our AFC Champions League quarter-final against Iran's Persepolis. We will try to build on our strengths and take the positives that we had in the previous seasons, to our advantage, he added.
Captain Karim Boudiaf, who sustained an injury in the Sheikh Jassim Cup, will miss out for today's match. Maaloul, however, was hopeful Boudiaf's absence was short term. 'Boudiaf's injury is fortunately a minor one and he will hopefully return to the side quickly, in time for the Persepolis game. He is an influential player and playmaker, and a good link between the defenders and midfielders, the coach said.
Meanwhile, for Shahania they could not have asked for a difficult opponent to start their season. Shahania will rely on their overseas professional players — Nader Awad, Vazquez, Alvaro and Claudio — who played vital roles in their triumph in the Second Division.
'We did a good job in the pre-season camp. We hope to build on our strong preparations and do a good job on our return to the QNB Stars League, said
Shahania coach Jose Murcia.
'We have retained the services of all our overseas professional players and have added some new Qatari players to the squad. I hope they gel well with the foreign recruits sooner rather than later. I am sure they will combine well and lift their game when it matters the most, he added.
'I coached the team in the Second Division and know the players well. Even though the top flight is a different ball game altogether, we are upbeat about our prospects, said Murcia.
Two other big guns Al Rayyan and Al Sadd will also be in action today. Al Rayyan will face Al Ahli, while last year's runner-up Sadd take on Al Kharaitiyat. Rayyan Lions are on a high after winning the season-opening Sheikh Jassim Cup. They ended the contract with Denmark's Michael Laudrup and appointed Argentinian Rodolfo Arruabarrena, who has straightaway made an impact. Rayyan may miss the services of injured Moroccan ace Abderrazaq Hamdallah. Another Moroccan midfielder Mohsen Moutaouli switched to Al Ahli, while Uruguayan defender Gonzalo Vieira and South Korean Koh Myong-Jin stayed with the team.
Al Ahli have strengthened the side with Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong, Medio Omid Ebrahimi and defender Mohammad Reza, both from Iran.
Al Sadd look formidable with the addition of Spanish star Gabi Fernandez and South Korean midfielder Jung Woo-Young to an already-impressive squad that includes the likes of Spanish great Xavi Hernandez, Baghdad Bounedjah, Hassan al-Haydous and Akram Afif.
Al Kharaitiyat, under Tunisian coach Nassif al-Bayawi who replaced Syrian Yasser Sebaei, have a tough opener. This season, Al Kharaitiyat signed three new players — Youssef al-Knaoui, Abdulhadi Halhoul and Ali Faiz — and kept the services of Anwar Diba.
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