Umm Salal coach Patrice Carteron spoke to the media ahead of their 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League Week 2 match against Al Arabi.

“The team’s players possess determination, persistence and the desire to provide the best throughout the competition, and we have to be as optimistic as we were in the first round match against Al Sadd, especially since we were facing a strong and great opponent. Despite that we played a great match. There will be a great improvement and this is what I seek. Because we need more time.

“The beginning is very difficult because we are facing strong competitors like Al Sadd and then Al Arabi at the start of the competition. We must strive to achieve a positive result and I think we need more time, work and some matches in order to be fully ready,” said Carteron.

Umm Salal player Marouane Loudani said, “The desire to win is a common factor for the two teams and each team strives to achieve its goal. Since the meeting with Al Sadd in the first round, we have been preparing with high concentration and following the coach’s plan in order to implement it.

“We know the strength of Al Arabi and the difficulty of the game, and this gives us enthusiasm, strength, and even desire and ambitions in order to achieve the desired goal.”