(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha: Al Rayyan, trailing by just four points behind the table toppers Al Rayyan, will be aiming for full points when the QNB Stars League (QSL) action returns following a long break of 139 days.
The eight-time champions, Al Rayyan will meet Qatar SC on the first day of action in the 18th round of the League, as Qatar welcomes football following the stoppage which was due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The match will kick off at the Al Sadd Stadium at 7.00pm on Friday. Al Rayyan, currently occupying the second spot in the QSL standings, have collected 38 from 11 wins and five draws. They have lost just one match this season.
They are the biggest threat for Al Duhail, who have also lost just one match out of 17, as the teams head for the final stretch of the QSL. The Lions will be without their former skipper Rodrigo Tabata, whose contract with the club has ended by mutual consent.
The team will depend much on Algerian attacking midfielder Yacine Brahimi, Ivorian forward Yohan Boli, Sebastian Soria and Abdulrahman Al Harazi. Al Rayyan had beaten Qatar SC 5-0 in their previous meeting this season.
Qatar SC who are currently placed in the ninth spot, are not completely safe from the relegation threat. The Kings, coached by former Qatar international Wesam Rizik, have accumulated 17 points thanks to four victories and five draws. They are three points above the relegation threatened Al Khor and Umm Salal, so will be keen to collect full points against Al Rayyan in Friday's clash as well as the remaining fixtures despite the underdog status.
Ever since the new coach took over, Qatar SC had been performing well, so it will be interesting to see how they confront the title-contenders Al Rayyan. They will rely more on Brazilian Kayke Rodriguez and Uzbek Sardor Rashidov.
In the other match of the sday, Al Gharafa will meet Al Arabi at the Al Janoub Stadium in the early kick-off. Al Gharafa are fourth in the points table, behind Al Duhail, Al Rayyan and Al Sadd in that order, with 28 points.
They are only four points adrift of reigning champions Al Sadd. They also have four points more than closest challengers and fifth-placed side Al Arabi (24 points). Both teams will be eager to finish among the top four and thereby play in the elite Qatar Cup and AFC Champions League. That will make the contest more interesting.
The League's resumption is in accordance with the precautionary measures as per the general plan and protocol developed by the Qatar Stars League in co-operation with Ministry of Public Health.
All remaining matches in the five rounds will be played at the Al Janoub and Al Sadd Stadiums.
MENAFN2207202000630000ID1100524092
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.