Al Rayyan are taking nothing for granted in the title race, despite enjoying a 15-point lead at the top of the QSL.

The Lions look almost certain to claim a first Falcon Shield since 1995 but the club’s football team manager is urging caution heading into the final eight games of the season.

Mazkar Al Shafi said: “According to the calculations, the title has not been settled. We will take it one game at a time as we aim to achieve our objective of winning the shield.”

Rayyan face in-form Al Arabi on Saturday (kick-off 7:15 PM at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium) and Al Shafi is predicting a stern test.

“We respect Al Arabi and are expecting a tough game this weekend. However, we trust our players to go for the win and give our amazing fans something to cheer about.”
Rayyan will be without inspirational captain Rodrigo Tabata for the Arabi game after he picked up a hamstring injury during the 1-0 win over Al Khor.

There are also doubts over Sergio Garcia and Kho Myong-jin going into this weekend’s game, but Al Shafi is confident Rayyan have a deep enough squad to cope with the absentees.
He added: “We will know more about the conditions of Garcia and Myong over the next few days. Even if they don’t make it for the Arabi match, we have players who are capable of coming in and having a positive impact on the team.”