Al Wakrah coach Marquez Lopez spoke to the media ahead of their 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League Week 7 match against Umm Salal.

“We took advantage of the long time to prepare for this match, and we worked on these preparations well in the past period in order to overcome this obstacle and achieve victory that can maintain our good position in the ranking table.

“During the recent break, we worked very hard in training in order to return to the league in the best possible way, so I expect the players to give their best and succeed in achieving victory at the expense of Umm Salal.

“Umm Salal are one of the good teams and are performing well this season because they have good players in all departments. They also have a strong attacking line, so the match will be difficult for both teams. This is the case with all league matches and what is important for us is to appear in good shape,” said Marquez.

Al Wakrah player Hazem Shehata said, “Everyone is ready to play this match in order to make the Al Wakrah fans happy and score all the points.

“The match will be difficult for both teams, especially since Umm Salal in the current season are presenting excellent levels and their results are also good. We are also seeking to win in order to obtain three points.

“I do not fear for my team due to the long absence from the matches because we had some players in the national teams. We continued strong training and everyone is ready to play this match.”