Al Rayyan coach Nicolas Cordova spoke to the media ahead of their 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League Week 19 match against Al Arabi.

“The Al Arabi match will be very strong and the most important thing for us at Al Rayyan is to focus on our team and our capabilities. To be highly competitive, we must be at the highest level.

“After our victory against Umm Salal (in the Amir Cup Round of 16), the morale became high, but the Al Arabi match in the league is very different from the cup match. In the league we are looking for points and improving the team’s position, and it will be a different and difficult match. We must achieve the best possible result and provide the best level.

“It is a match that I consider as having six points, because it is against a team looking for a top position. The most important thing for us is to win points, move away from the last positions and progress in the standings,” said Cordova.

Al Rayyan captain Yacine Brahimi said, “A great match against a good team, so we want to focus on ourselves. We have to train well to reach the highest readiness and the most important thing for us is to win.

“For us, it (victory against Umm Salal in the Amir Cup Round of 16) was very important and very difficult match against a good team that has high capabilities in defence and attack. That was a good victory for us and it should be a first step to achieve more victories. God-willing, it is a good result, but we have many important matches ahead, and we have to keep our focus and working in the next matches.”