Al Gharafa coach Pedro Martins spoke to the media ahead of their 2025-2026 Doha Bank Stars League Week 12 match against Umm Salal.

“The upcoming match against Umm Salal is crucial. I am not happy with our previous-round performance against Al Shahania. However, I have witnessed a positive reaction from the players, demonstrated through their daily work and desire to put the past behind them, rediscover the team’s character and maintain its strength.

“We now have a very important match ahead of us and we are aiming for a strong response to secure a victory.

“All these factors make the match challenging, but I have confidence in my players’ ability to deliver a strong performance against Umm Salal,” said Martins.

Al Gharafa player Abdullah Al Saai said, “Preparations for the Umm Salal match were proceeding as usual for any important game, especially given the team’s current sensitive period and the need to win upcoming matches to maintain our lead.

“Umm Salal are a distinguished team coming off a victory, but our focus is solely on ourselves in this important match.”