Qatar SC coach Helio Sousa spoke to the media ahead of their 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League Week 7 match against Al Markhiya.

“The match against Al Markhiya will be different, especially since the opponent plays in a different style and with another strategy, so we must apply what we have trained on by always searching for depth as well as closing spaces.

“It is certain that victory (over Al Ahli in Week 6) always contributes to facilitating the task, especially since the team was experiencing a state of loss of confidence, so we had to work to restore confidence. This was achieved thanks to the combined efforts of everyone. We must continue the work daily to always be at the best possible level.

“It is good that the players have strength at the psychological level and this is a very important factor in facing the challenges. Indeed, we were able to stick together and play with the desire to win during the previous match, even though we lost the necessary concentration for more than 10 minutes in the second half, but we returned to the required level and won the match. This is what happened. It is not enough. Rather, we must redouble our efforts daily to maintain a level that enables us to compete,” said Sousa.

Qatar SC player Ben Malango said, “We presented an outstanding level in the last match, as we played with great seriousness and great concentration that helped us win three important points, and we hope to maintain this spirit in performance.

“The recent victory was important for the team because it gave us double the enthusiasm and desire to continue the journey in the upcoming matches. Our confidence was also boosted. Maintaining these positive factors is extremely important for the upcoming games.

“I strive with my team-mates to maintain the quality of performance  and we still have a lot of work to do, so we must provide the best in both training and matches alike.

“We thank our loyal fans for being with us and I hope their constant support motivates us to give more.”