Al Gharafa coach Bulent Uygun spoke to the media ahead of their QNB Stars League Week 20 match against Al Sailiya.

“We will play this game with the determination to stay in the fourth position in the standings. Our players’ confidence is high, unlike when we faced Al Sailiya in the first phase and we lost.

“Al Sailiya are a good side even though they slipped out of the top four. They had a very good time in the first half of the season and reaped rewards for that. They are seeking a win against us as they are badly in need of points.

“I appreciate all the good work done by their coach Sami Trabelsi with the squad. At the same time, we also want to win this match as we are keen to finish among the top four and play in the Qatar Cup.

“We can thereby also nurture the hope of playing in the AFC Champions League next year as well. Our preparations are not just aimed at the QNB Stars League or Asian competition. We are evolving an overall strategy for our squad for all tournaments.

“We will miss defender Abdelaziz Hatem due to suspension and Ahmed Alaaeldin owing to personal reasons,” said Bulent.