Al Ahli coach Zlatko Kranjcar admitted his side needed to up the ante for improved results.
 
"This game is very important for us. We need to show the quality of our team, get this win and take the three points on offer," Kranjcar said on Wednesday.
 
"We have to take the points that we deserve. If you look at our opponents in the table, they are not doing well. But my image of the team is different. They are a team that is well-organised and they have lost many games because they lack the quality in players. But if they play with a lot of motivation then that could cause a lot of trouble for my team," the 59-year-old Croatian said.
 
Kranjcar said his side was 'unlucky' in the last game."After the last game we have suffered a few injuries. John Benson got a red card. We have tried to find alternatives and hopefully those players will step up and do well," Kranjcar said.
 
The experienced coach said his side won't change the way they approach QSL games despite their 1-0 loss against eighth-placed Al Arabi last week."I don't think there's a need to change anything, except for the injured players. If you look at our past few games we are approaching the style and level that we had last season," Kranjcar said.
 
When asked about  striker Ndombe Mubele and his comparisson  striker Alain Dioko and Iranian midfielder Mojtaba Jabbari, Kranjcar said: "How long did it take for Dioko and Jabbari to form their productive partnership? It took time before the two got used to each other."
 
He added: "In a similar way we have to wait for (Ndombe) Mubele and Jabbari to connect. Mubele is different to Dioko. He's extremely fast. Also you have to know that Jabari had a small injury which meant that he had to reduce the intensity of his training. But we are hoping that everything falls together and they will forge a successful partnership soon."
 


Qatar Stars League  minnows Mesaimeer won't buckle under pressure in their clash against Al Ahli on Thursday,coach Rodion Gacanin predicted on Wednesday.
 
Bottom-placed Mesaimeer have only one win from 10 matches but coach Gacanin feels his team will test Al Ahli's ambitions at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on Thursday.
 
"I must say that after these ten matches we are a team that doesn't give up," Gacanin said on Wednesday during a pre-match press conference.
 
"We are focussing on our training. We have some problems with injury.
But the discipline that the players have shown in the last few matches gives me a lot of confidence. We play as a group and I have trust in my players," Gacanin said ignoring the fact that his side has just three points from 10 matches.
 
"I no longer feel the need to speak about the quality of my players,"
the 52-year-old Croatian said.
 
Gacanin said no team should take Mesaimeer lightly.
 
"Al Ahli are a team that have had the best possession percentage in the league so far. They are a good team and have their strengths but also their weaknesses. I don't think that anybody can go into a match against Mesaimeer and say that we can definitely beat them," Gacanin said.
 
Battling relegation, Gacanin sound philosophical when reminded of missing the cut at the end of the QSL season."It will not be a tragedy if a team goes from the first division to the second. The tragedy will be if the team gives up," Gacanin said on Wednesday.
 
"We have our quality and we know for sure that we don't deserve to be in the last position. We have been unlucky in a few matches and made individual mistakes too. But considering how our team has played so far, we need to be higher up in the table. I believe in my players.
They will give their 100 per cent and we will see tomorrow how they fare," the former Riffa coach said.
 
Gacanin said motivational speeches have been the norm inside Mesaimeer dressing room.
 "It's not easy to motivate players when the results don't mirror the performance. During training we speak a lot about motivation. I have a good feedback from the players, they believe in me and in our work together, and that's important for the team because at the end of the day we are a single unit," he said.
 
The match kicks-off at 18:30pm at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa stadium on Thurdsday the 3rd of December