(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Fawad Hussain |
The Peninsula
Al Wakrah are hoping to overcome injury problems as they look for a win against Umm Salal in their Week 3 clash of the QNB Stars League (QSL) against Umm Salal at the Al Thumama Stadium, today.
The Blue Waves have done well in the opening stages of the new season as they defeated Al Duhail 4-2 and played out a 1-1 draw against Al Gharafa in their first two matches.
Al Wakrah coach Marquez Lopez said his team did not get much time to prepare for the match but hoped for another good performance from his side.
“We had a day to recover after a tough match against Al Gharafa, before players had training sessions for a couple of days after a day's rest. I hope that everyone is ready for this difficult match,” Lopez told a pre-match press conference.
“We'll be without six of our players tomorrow due to injuries while Mohamed Benyettou has registration issues. I hope he is ready because he's an influential player,” he added.
Lopez admitted his team was missing Qatar players, who are with the national squad preparing for the FIFA World Cup.
Meanwhile, Umm Salal, who are ninth on the points table, are hoping for their first victory of the season. They lost to Al Ahli in their opening fixture before holding champions Al Sadd to a draw.
Expecting a tough challenge from Al Wakrah, Umm Salal coach Wesam Rizik said a strong performance against Al Sadd in the previous clash boosted his team's confidence.
“We showed our fighting spirit against Al Sadd to snatch a point and now we are determined to present a strong challenge against Al Wakrah,” said Rizik.
“It is undoubtedly a difficult match against a strong competitor, but we were determined to do well. All the players are ready for the match and I have great confidence in the team,” he added.
Today's first match will see Al Sailiya and Qatar SC battling for points at the Khalifa International Stadium.
Al Sailiya lost to Al Gharafa 1-2 in the first week but made a comeback with a 2-1 win over Al Shamal.
“We didn't have much time for preparations, but we tried to correct our mistakes because it is very important to achieve a positive result,” said Al Sailiya coach Sami Trabelsi.
Qatar SC, who have just one point, are eyeing a winning performance against Al Sailiya.
“I have great confidence in the players and their ability to make a difference and achieve victory over Al Sailiya, especially since everyone is aware of the responsibility and is keen to earn winning points,” Qatar SC coach Youssef Safri told reporters.
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