(MENAFN- The Peninsula) fawad hussain |
The Peninsula
Al Sadd are eyeing their third successive QNB Stars League (QSL) title after making a strong comeback in the competition following the FIFA World Cup break, playmaker Akram Afif said yesterday.
The two-time defending champions – boosted with the return of key players from World Cup duties – resumed their QSL campaign with a bang notching up victories in Qatar Clasico and Qatar derby against Al Rayyan and Al Arabi respectively.
Following back-to-back wins, the Wolves, who had a barren run in the start of the season, jumped to sixth place with 13 points from nine matches. They have two postponed games in hands – one more than leaders Al Duhail, who they are trailing by 10 points.
Juan Manuel Lillo-coached side will play today's Round 12 tie against Al Markhiya, who pulled off impressive wins in start of the season including a 4-3 victory over the Wolves in the first leg.
Afif, who is among the players rejoining Al Sadd after the World Cup, said the team is targeting maximum points to continue their march towards the summit.
“We are seeking to return to the competition for the league title,” said the winger.
“It will be a strong match and our goal is to win to make our club's fans happy. Al Markhiya have improved a lot and defeated us in the first round. We must prepare well for the match in order to avenge the loss,” he said.
“The team's ambition is to win all matches and collect points, regardless of the current position. We play in every match in order to collect the valuable three points,” Afif added.
Al Sadd players during a training session yesterday.
Lillo, meanwhile, expected another tough battle as Al Sadd host Al Markhiya at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
“Al Markhiya were recently promoted from the second division but they have shown excellence. I am happy with the return of all our players who were with the national team. We have become stronger and we hope to continue working to achieve more victories,” said Al Sadd coach.
Al Markhiya coach Abdullah Mubarak hoped for a repeat show against Al Sadd but said the task is more challenging than the first leg.
“We are playing against a champion side and refreshed team after their victory over Al Arabi. They seek to make a comeback in the competition and it will be a very tough match. We must be ready in all aspects including technical, tactical and mental levels,” he said.
“It is natural for us to enter the match against Al Sadd in order to achieve victory, but to achieve this ambition we have to be at the top of our effort, focus and solidarity, and deal with the opponent more seriously throughout the 90 minutes,” he added.
Al Markhiya player Hammoud Al Yazidi said:“Preparations for the Al Sadd match and other matches have been continuing with physical, technical and tactical training, as well as friendly matches at a good level. Our team really misses the efforts of injured players such as Algerian professional Ayoub Azzi, who is a great player and has an impact on the team.”
Al Markhiya are ninth in the standings with nine points from eight matches.
Meanwhile, Al Ahli's Hamad Bin Khalifa Stadium will host other two Round 12 matches today with Al Gharafa taking on bottom side Al Sailiya at 4:35pm.
With 13 points from 10 matches, Al Gharafa slipped to seventh spot in the standings after being in the top four. Al Sailiya are under a threat of relegation with only four points to their credit.
Today's second game at the venue will pit hosts Al Ahli and Umm Salal with both teams seeking points. Al Ahli are fifth in the league table with 14 points while Umm Salal are 10th with seven points.