Qatar Stars League clubs are continuing their strong preparations for the football season (2023-2024) ahead and league championship through new signings of foreign and local professionals and daily training at outdoor and overseas camps besides playing friendly matches, from where teams and coaches are keen to get the maximum technical benefit.

Al Sadd introduce new players, draw with Morocco’s Raja Athletic and beat Lusail

Ahead of their participation in the 2023 King Salman Club Championship in Saudi Arabia in the coming days and also in line with preparations for the 2023-2024 season, Al Sadd continued strong preparations for these events.

Al Sadd’s first team played a friendly against Raja Club Athletic of Morocco on July 21 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium and it ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw. For Al Sadd, Hassan Al Haydous and Baghdad Bounedjah got the goals while Raja Athletic’s goals were scored by Abdullah Khafifi and Yusri Bouzouk.

Before the match, Al Sadd unveiled their new foreign professional players who will support the ranks in the new season, namely: Brazilian Paulo Ottavio, Iranian Muhammad Amin Hazbavi, Colombian Mateus Uribe and Brazilian Giovani Henrique, who was injured in the second minute of their friendly against Raja Athletic.

Al Sadd had also achieved a 4-0 win over Al Bidaa in a friendly played on July 22 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.

 

Al Duhail leave for Austria training camp

The Al Duhail team delegation left Doha for Seefeld, Austria, to enter the second stage of preparations before the start of new season.

The team’s outdoor camp began on July 23 and will continue until August 11. The team’s training started on July 1, during which the technical staff focused on raising the fitness levels of players along with technical training.

The team played its first friendly this season against Lusail team and won 3-2.

Al Duhail have also signed up the French player Ibrahima Diallo from English club Southampton in addition to signing young Italian player Ibrahim Qadir from Portuguese club Vitoria de Guimaraes.

 

Umm Salal begin training at camp in Turkey, will also be playing friendlies

The Umm Salal delegation left Doha on Friday morning for Turkey to participate in an outdoor preparation camp which will continue until August 10. The first training session began at the camp in the city of Izmit.

The team is scheduled to play four friendlies during the camp in addition to technical and physical training that would prepare the players in the required manner for the new season.

Umm Salal had launched the first stage of preparations in Doha on July 1, led by their French coach Patrice Carteron.

Al Ahli lose to Haladas of Hungary

Al Ahli lost in a friendly to Hungarian team Haladas 2-3 in their second preparatory experience at the camp in Austria.

Al Ahli took a two-goal lead through Naeem Al Sleiti in the 28th minute and Omar Yansani in the 49th minute but the Hungarian team hit back in the second half by scoring three goals.

Al Ahli had defeated Austrian side SC Laa/Thaya by a 4-1 margin in their first match at the camp and as part of the five friendly matches they will be playing until August 6, before returning to Doha to complete the preparations.

Al Gharafa edged by ETO FC Gyor

In the second friendly at the camp, Al Gharafa lost to Hungarian team ETO FC Gyor 2-1 at their overseas preparation camp being held in Slovakia from July 18 to August 3.

The first half ended with the Hungarian team advancing with a clean double, and in the second half the only goal of Al Gharafa came through Ivorian striker Yohan Boli, who switched allegiance this season from Al Rayyan.

Al Gharafa had won the first friendly against Slovakian team FK Podkoniceby a 2-1 margin.

The team is scheduled to meet in the third friendly with Apollon Limassol FC of Cyprus on July 27, while the last friendly will be played against the UAE’s Baniyas on July 30.

 

Al Markhiya to meet Istanbul Basak in third friendly

At their overseas camp in Afyon, Turkey, Al Markhiya were to play a third friendly against Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir at Mako Stadium on July 23.

Al Markhiya have played two friendly matches so far. The first was against Turkish club Altay which they lost 1-2 and the second was against FK Olympic, one of the Uzbekistan Premier League clubs, which Al Markhiya lost 1-4.

 

Muaither to play Saudi club Al Adalah in friendly

The Muaither team which lost their first friendly match at the current Turkish camp against Saudi club Al Faisaly 0-1 are scheduled to meet Saudi Club Al Adalah next Tuesday as part of their training in Izmit.

Muaither coach Pepe Murcia is making many young players play in these friendlies in an attempt to prepare them with the first team for the new football season.

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Al Wakrah lose to Spanish team Las Palmas

In the second friendly match of their overseas camp in Spain, which will continue until July 31, Al Wakrah lost 0-2 to Spanish team Las Palmas.

Al Wakrah had won the first friendly match against Spanish team Estepona 1-0, with the only goal of the match being scored by their Algerian striker Mohamed Benyettou in the first half.

The team has two more friendlies left during the camp before returning to Doha as part of the program set by the team’s Spanish coach Marquez Lopez and his staff.

Al Rayyan sign Gabriel Pereira, beat Budapest Honved in friendly

Al Rayyan announced their official contract with Brazilian winger Gabriel Pereira in a transfer deal from American club New York City.

The player is considered as a significant signing for the team. Pereira has played 22 matches in Major League Soccer with New York City, where he scored six goals and gave three assists. The contract with Pereira came after Al Rayyan succeeded in settling the deals for Thiago Mendes and Rodrigo Moreno.

At their overseas camp in Austria, which began on July 17 and will continue until August 7, Al Rayyan succeeded in achieving a 2-1 win in friendly over Hungarian club Budapest Honved. Young striker Ahmed Al Rawi scored in the opening half for Al Rayyan but in the second half the Hungarian team levelled 1-1 before Sofiane Boufal scored the winning goal in stoppage time.

Al Rayyan have five more friendly matches left to play at the camp in Austria, where they will meet Al Fayhaa of Saudi Arabia next Tuesday, before heading to meet Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia on Friday, and then Hungary’s Haladas on July 31 before concluding the friendly matches facing Italian Udinese teams A and B on August 4 and 5 respectively.

Qatar SC beat Spain’s Costa City

Qatar SC defeated Spanish club Costa City 5-1 in a friendly played as part of their preparatory training camp in the Spanish city of Alicante.

The goals for Qatar SC were scored by Ibrahim Majed, Omar Al Emadi, Bruno Tabata, Yousef Ali and Ali Awad.

The team had won their first friendly 1-0 against English club Grimsby Town, which plays in the second tier.

Qatar SC’s training camp in Alicante will last until July 29.

 

Al Arabi training begins in Girona, Spain

Al Arabi began training at their outdoor camp in the Spanish city of Girona as part of the arrangements made by the team for preparation ahead of the new season.

The technical staff, led by Qatari coach Younes Ali, also decided to play six friendly matches during the camp, the club announced.

As part of Al Arabi’s strong preparations for the new season, it was also announced that Syrian professional Omar Al Somah has signed for two seasons after the great success he achieved with the team last season, presenting impressive levels which also led Al Arabi to winning the Amir Cup.

The contract of Tunisian star Yousef Msakni was also renewed until 2025 in addition to the inclusion of Moroccan player of Dutch nationality Mohamed Al Tabouni from Dutch club Feyenoord Rotterdam besides that of right-back Mohamed Alaa from Al Duhail.

 

Al Shamal to face Al Wasl of UAE

Al Shamal were to play a friendly against Al Wasl of the UAE on July 23 at their external camp in Austria in preparation for the new season.

The technical staff of Al Shamal, led by Poya Esbaghi, wants the players to deliver expected levels following their strenuous training, be it in the first preparation stage that began in Doha, or at the ongoing overseas camp.

Al Shamal have also continued signing new players and strengthening their ranks with a number of foreign and local professionals. They recently announced that Abdulaziz Al Ansari and Khalifa Al Maliki would also be included in the ranks.