Al Gharafa coach Pedro Martins spoke to the media ahead of their 2022-2023 season QNB Stars League Week 15 match against Al Shamal.

“Our preparations were normal, although we had experienced sadness after the loss to Al Sadd in the last round and this is normal. On the other hand, the situation is better today, as there is good news that Farid and Moayad Hassan have returned to training.

“Our preparations for the match strategy started yesterday and we have an extra day and we will continue to prepare for the important match against Al Shamal.

“After we saw it during their match against Al Sailiya and the loss by five goals, and then with the new technical staff, of course, they will have reservations on the defensive side, and they will seek to strengthen their defensive strategy, as they were suffering from receiving many goals. In their last match against Al Arabi, they were more stable on the defensive side and relying on direct play, and we know that it is a very important match for them and also for us, because we are seeking to return to the fourth place.

“Yacine Brahimi will be absent due to suspension, while Moayad and Farid will return, and they trained normally yesterday, and we have final training ahead of us and everyone will be in good condition. Mustafa Essam will return, so I think the team will be 99 per cent ready,” said Martins.

Al Gharafa player Mustafa Essam said, “We are fully ready to face Al Shamal and win the three points.

“At a personal level, I am 100 per cent ready and I am awaiting the coach’s decision.

“I urge our fans for support. Their presence is a motivation for the players, promising them to present a better match than what they presented against Al Sadd.”