Umm Salal coach Talal El Karkouri spoke to the media ahead of their 2022-2023 season QNB Stars League Week 19 match against Al Markhiya.

“The match is important for my team and also for the opponents because Al Markhiya, by virtue of their position in the league table, want to move away from us and Al Sailiya, and the players of Umm Salal will enter the match with full focus and interest in order to achieve the victory we seek in this important match.

“Our preparations are like every match, but they differ only tactically according to the opponent we will face, because each match has its own circumstances and nature. From here, we are required to win and reap the three points, and the Umm Salal players are determined to make efforts and give off their best. I am confident in the capabilities of my team and I hope that our players will show their true character and win the match points,” said El Karkouri.

Umm Salal player Aleksa Vukanovic said, “We will make every effort to get points and we need a great effort because the opponents will also seek victory. We must enter the match with full focus, enthusiasm and a high fighting spirit in order to win the match points.

“We prepared well during the past days, the team has trained seriously and we will do our best on the field.. For me in particular, this is a very important fixture as this is my first match in the league with the team.”