Al Duhail coach Djamel Belmadi spoke to the media ahead of their QNB Stars League Week 21 match against Al Markhiya.

“During the seasons when I led the team (erstwhile Lekhwiya), we won the league with two or three rounds to go and we played the remaining matches seriously. When we faced Al Shahania in our last game, we fielded a number of substitute players and the game ended in a draw.

“I will not talk about the periods when I was not coaching the team. Now, the side has players who must present the levels expected of them and achieve the performance required of them at the stadium.

“There are Qatari players who can do well in the absence of overseas recruits, like Bassam Al Rawi, Ismael Mohammed, Almoez Ali and Karim Boudiaf, which is good for the team, especially when you have more than a player with the national team.

“Al Duhail are always present in the AFC Champions League and provides good performance. I do not think that there is an Asian team that has been able to win four consecutive games in the tournament. It is a remarkable work for the board of directors, the technical and medical staff and the players.

“Our match against Al Markhiya will not be easy, especially as the opponents will enter it in order to win and avoid relegation, but for us, it is a good opportunity. We need all the players to be ready for next month. We will play to win,” said Belmadi.