Adlene Guedioura is lending stability to Al Gharafa’s midfield in the 2019-20 QNB Stars League and The Cheetahs are occupying the second position in standings with an unbeaten run.

In an exclusive interview with qsl.qa ahead of their QNB Stars League Week 4 game against Al Ahli, scheduled for Thursday, 19th September, Guedioura, who has a wealth of experience playing for many clubs in England for almost a decade as well as the Algerian national team, spoke about a variety of topics.

How do you find your game in Qatar, which is a new territory for you?

I really enjoy my game in Qatar. People welcomed me very well, I’m really happy here. I want to know more about the country that’ll host the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and about its culture.

Why did you choose Al Gharafa?

Al Gharafa are a big team which used to be on top. When I received an offer, I was glad to join them in order to help the side get back to the top. Also, I’ve played under present coach Slavisa Jokanovic (at Watford in England) and many of my friends who’ve played in Al Gharafa encouraged me to join.

The 2019-20 QNB Stars League is three games old. How do you assess the tournament?

The QNB Stars League is a very well-organised tournament. Weather is hot at this time, but we play at air-conditioned stadiums and that makes matters different, for sure. Victories always give a nice feeling.

Al Gharafa have a respectable position in the table. What makes the team click this time?

I think we started off well. We haven’t lost a game so far. We wish to maintain the momentum, but we still have some areas to improve.

You’ve a big match against Al Ahli coming up…

Yes, I think in this league every match is difficult. There’re no small teams. Maybe, some teams are better than others. We must compete well and try to win matches. The next one against Al Ahli will be tough because we both had won in the last round. I hope it’ll be a good game.

What’s the difference between Al Gharafa and Al Ahli?

It’s difficult to define it now. Both teams have a good squad and good coaches. So I expect an exciting game.

What does it take for Al Gharafa to beat Al Ahli?

We’re focusing more on our team. We want to keep a high level of seriousness and performance in all our games, especially against Al Ahli.

What do you like about Al Gharafa the most?

I like the people here, be it the players, coach or administration. It was nice to have settled into my stride quickly. Many big players and coaches were here. I’m also happy to see fans come to stadiums to watch our games. I hope we can make them happy by winning games.

What’s your assessment of the Al Ahli team?

As I said before, it’s a team having a good coach and many good players. After their defeat in the first round, they came back strongly with two victories.

How do you look forward to the season? Team and individual goals...

As a team, of course we want to be in a top position in the league. It won’t be easy, for sure. We know we’ve a big challenge ahead. We’ve to take it game by game and following instructions of our coach. All of us are keen to make some achievements this season.
Personally, I want to enjoy playing with my team-mates and help the team achieve its targets.