Al Shamal coach David Prats spoke to the media ahead of their 2026-2027 season Doha Bank Stars League Week 1 match against Al Arabi.

“We are excited for the start of new season, after a period of rest following the end of last season, which was followed by a training camp in preparation for the new season.

“Our first league match will be tough and challenging against a very good team, Al Arabi, which is considered one of the best teams in the league thanks to its highly skilled players and top-level coaching staff,” said Prats.

Al Shamal captain Baghdad Bounedjah said, “We will face a great team, Al Arabi, for whom we have the utmost respect and appreciation for their talented players and large fan base.

“However, Al Shamal also have ambitions and goals that we seek to achieve, and therefore we will play to win and take all three points.”