Sadd relying on youth in Kharitiyat match
 
Fourth placed Al Sadd are facing twelfth placed Al Kharitiyat in an important match for both teams. Sadd are coming back after a 1-1 draw against Al Gharafa. While Al Kharitiyat will hope to get a decent result in order to pull away from the relegation zone.
 
Jesualdo Ferreira, head coach of Al Sadd expressed his disappointment about the last game against Al Gharafa noting; “We didn’t do well in the Gharafa game, it was an important match for our side, if we won we would be poised second or third place in the league.”
 
Ferreira also talked up the talents of the young players in his side, “Most our players are young in this game, the effort put in by the players was good however I’m not satisfied with the draw. I didn’t like the result.”
 
Al Sadd will be relying heavily on a core of young stars in the upcoming QSL games; “Our strategy is to depend on young players. We have the largest number of young players in the league and we provide the national team with many of our players. So I have to adapt to this situation, sometimes it is difficult to do so. I have to work with what I have been provided,” added the Portuguese coach.
 
Ferreira took the helm at Al Saad this season when the side was struggling for form and the coach was keen to highlight how the team has improved during his tenure. “When I came to this club there was a huge gap between Al Sadd and the teams above them. We have improved over this time and I don’t want to make excuses because I have young players because talking is easy and playing is hard,” said the 69-year-old.



 
Al Kharitiyat, who are languishing dangerously close to the drop zone, have 22 points from 21 games and are only two points clear of Qatar Sports Club.
 
Head coach Amir Osim had plenty to say about the challenge of facing the fourth placed side in the QSL, “Al Sadd is the best club in the country for me as they have achieved so much in their history as a club. They are the only club in the league that Kharitiyat have never beaten and I hope we can upset them.”
 
He also pointed out the unpredictability of this season. “This season is a bit different and a bit funny. Some teams have taken points from teams that they were not supposed to get points from. So far we have averaged one point per game and if we need to get more points, in order to stay in the league” claimed the Bosnian tactician.