Umm Salal coach Talal El Karkouri spoke to the media ahead of their 2022-2023 season QNB Stars League Week 16 match against Al Rayyan.

“Al Rayyan’s matches are always strong due to their strengths with distinguished players and professionals.

“Every team has the desire to collect the three points and if we look at Umm Salal, it is a team that aspires to move away from the danger zone, while Al Rayyan are team that wants to improve its position in the table, so the match will be difficult.

“We will play the match with great strength and focus, and I hope we will succeed in achieving a positive result.

“We know Al Rayyan well and I hope that we will be at the required level and ready at the mental and physical levels and present a good match. We will play with the same spirit in which the team fought in the Al Markhiya match, and despite the loss in the last round, I thank all players for the fighting spirit with which they played the game that we did not deserve to lose,” said El Karkouri.

Umm Salal player Atef Mohammed said, “A very important game because the opponent is an organized and distinguished team, and we must achieve victory in order to return to the path of victories.

“We will not give up the three points, and we will try our utmost to appear better than what we have presented in the past matches, and all players are fully prepared to participate at any moment in the matches. We will play with a high fighting spirit in order to win.”