Al Markhiya, Al Shahania Set To Battle In Play-Off
(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: Al Markhiya face Al Shahania in the play-off to determine which team qualifies for the First Division league in the 2024-2025 season. The kick-off is at 7pm at the Al Thumama Stadium today.
The Play-Off pits the 11th-placed team (Al Markhiya) in the final standings of 2023-2024 season expo Stars League against the second-placed team (Al Shahania) in Second Division championship.
The match is of great importance for both teams as the winners will earn a berth in the 2024-2025 season league and the losers will play in the Second Division. Al Markhiya had done well towards the end of Expo Stars League and recorded many positive results to finish 11th with 18 points, whereas 12th-placed side Muaither got straightaway relegated to the Second Division.
Al Shahania coach Alvaro Mejia, speaking ahead of the match said his team will fight to beat Al Markhiya.
“Al Markhiya are a team worthy of respect and we know it well, given that we previously faced them when they were playing in the second division league. They have high technical capabilities, but we will fight in the match to win, especially since it is a great opportunity for us to qualify for the first division league, and the match is a great challenge for me.“Naturally, this is a great challenge for us to break the jinx and achieve victory over Al Markhiya.”
Al Markhiya coach Madjid Bougherra said,“We go into this match as we did in all the last rounds of the league, as a major final in which we must give everything in order to win.
“Al Shahania had a good season and finished second in the Second Division, so we respect them and will deal with them with caution. We will do our best to stay in the league. The Play-Off match has a special character and in such matches anything can happen, so the team must be extremely focused.”
Bougherra will rely mainly on Iraqi Bashar Resan, Moroccan Driss Fettohi, Gambian striker Yusupha Njie, goalkeeper Louay Ashour and Talal Ali.
On the other hand, Al Shahaniya boast of Sierra Leone professional Alhassan Koroma, Abdulrahman Masaad and Abdulaziz Al Yahri among others.
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