Al Gharafa coach Pedro Martins spoke to the media ahead of their 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League Week 15 match against Al Duhail.

“It was a difficult week because the last loss was difficult and we had aspirations. We had worked a lot in the last two months to prepare for that first match after the long break.

“Of course we are not happy and we feel disappointed, but I am also sure that we will show a strong reaction against Al Duhail and this is what we expect from our players and I am sure that they will do that. Al Gharafa are a team that always tries to play football. In the last match, we saw the playing time statistics. There were about 20 minutes of actual playing time, with seven minutes of extra time added by the referee.

“In the second half, there were 32 minutes of actual playing time and 12 minutes were added, which is one of the top five matches in the league. These are exactly the numbers we have. Twenty minutes in the second half is the most actual playing time in the match, I’m not saying that was the reason we lost because we also made mistakes and in the last 10 minutes of extra time, I had to talk about this because we need to change some things.

“I expect a reaction from the team against Al Duhail. I am sure we will do that. It will be a difficult and important match for both teams, and Al Duhail have a great team because their team’s true value does not match their position in the table. It will be a difficult match and we must be ready, and we may have Farid Wilayat and Ahmed Al Janahi play. Perhaps, Homam and Jang will be ready to help the team. The positive point is that Wilayat and Al Janahi are ready for the match,” said Martins.

Al Gharafa player Dame Traore said, “Preparations were good and everyone has great motivation. Al Duhail are a big team like Al Gharafa although they do not occupy a good position in the table, but they remain one of the best teams in the league.

“I think it will be a big match because both teams need the three points and therefore it will be good. All players are happy with the presence of the fans of Al Gharafa to support them. It must continue and we promise them that we will fight for them, and we will be waiting for them against Al Duhail.”