Al Ahli face defending champions Al Duhail in their opening-round match of 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League on Friday. The kick-off is at 6.30pm at the Al Thumama Stadium.

Both teams will look for a strong start to the league by gaining the three valuable points, especially given the strong player reinforcements each team has made.

Both coaches - Argentinian Hernan Crespo of Al Duhail and Montenegrin Nebojsa Jovovic of Al Ahli - would have many winning cards and would like their teams to be on the offensive.

Al Duhail have changed some of their foreign professionals. They have, however, retained top scorer of the last two seasons in the league Kenyan Michael Olunga, Belgian Edmilson Junior and Portuguese Ruben Semedo.

The Red Knights have signed a number of young players - French winger Isaac Lihadji and French midfielder Ibrahima Diallo (from Sunderland and Southampton respectively), South Korean Kim Moon-Hwan from Jeonbuk Hyundai and young Italian player Ibra Bamba from Vitoria SC, Portugal.

Al Ahli have signed Yaseen Abdallah Lafrid, Mohammed Emad Ayash, Abubakr Bayomi and Islam Al Sharif. Among foreign professionals, Al Ahli have contracted Tunisian Naim Sliti, Ivorian Idrissa Doumbia, Colombian Danilo Arboleda and young Finnish player of Moroccan origin Jasin Amin.

The team has also retained the professional trio of Jordanian Yazan Al Naimat, Algerian Sofiane Hanni and Frenchman Sekou Oumar Yansane, who are continuing from last season.

While the aspirations of both teams vary with Al Duhail’s desire being to defend their title, the ambition for Al Ahli would be to finish among the top four having finished eighth in the standings last season.

Both club managements are aiming for more technical stability having extended the contracts of coaches Crespo and Nebojsa, the former for a second year in a row and the latter for a fourth year.

The big challenge for both these coaches will be to ensure that their players produce a top team game and deliver the best results. A winning start therefore assumes significance.