Al Gharafa - VS - Al Shahania
Tues’ 21^st Oct’ 19:45 at Grand Hamad Stadium
 
“Al Shahania will fight to improve its position in the table” Said new head coach Jose Fernando in relation to their upcoming match against Al Gharafa in the eighth round of the Qatar Stars League.

He added that Gharafa was one of the stronger teams in the league this season but stressed that nothing was impossible and his side would do their upmost to try and achieve a positive result.

He Said “The recent loss to Umm Salal was tough to take but I am working on restoring the morale within the group. These two weeks ahead see us playing many games but we will do our best to equip the players with the necessary tools to do a good job.”

He added that his players were improving from match to match and that they should not be judged too harshly because they are a new team from the second division, which means that they don’t have a lot of experience.

He also said that another big blow for the team was the absence of key players Masoud Shojaei and Uli Pasqua.

For his part Al Gharafa head coach Paqueta talked about the difficulty of their next fixture against newly promoted Al Shahania who has shown often this season a good level of performances.

He said, “We have started our preparation for this match and we must take care not to underestimate our opponents. I am sure we will face problems but we must try to get all three points especially since it is a home game.”

The head coach went on to say that his side has improved dramatically in many areas of the pitch and that this is backed up by the Prozone statistics that the club analyzes every week.

“The data shows that our team is achieving good statistics such as over 420 successful passes, I don’t think any other team has reached this number during the past two seasons. The fitness of the players has also improved, which allows us to get back into position quickly when we lose the ball.”

Al Arabi -VS - Umm Salal
Tues’ 21^st Oct’ 19:45 at Thani bin Jassim Stadium
 
Umm Salal head coach Bulent said that his side achieved a solid victory in the prior round of the QSL and that it wasn’t easy as Shahania have already proven they can win matches in this division.

The coach added, “For the next match against Al Arabi I am sure it will be tough and I know their coach has great ambitions. His team includes a large number of stars who showed their attacking prowess last week against Al Wakrah."

He also told the gathered press that French striker Jeremie Aliadiere will miss the upcoming clash and that he will be sorely missed in the squad.

His opposite number Mr. Petrescu confirmed that the upcoming game would be difficult for his side.

“The game is very important for both teams especially as both teams won their games in the previous round and they will want to continue with their run of good form. The rounds are coming thick and fast, but do not forget that all the teams had a two week break a while back so there are no excuses that teams won’t be ready to cope with the demanding schedule ahead."

He added, “I'm not satisfied yet and I always look to get the most from my teams, I still think we can do better. I know that Umm Salal is a good team and they too have potential and have proved it on many occasions.”

Al Shamal – VS – Qatar Sports Club
Silvio Diliberto the head coach of Al Shamal is under no illusions about the tough test that awaits his side in round 8.

“We know that Qatar Sports Club has improved dramatically since the first two rounds of the season. Their new coach Radhi Shenaishil has instilled confidence within the squad and a new mentality.”

He also spoke about their performance against Al Sailiya in the previous round where the team almost won their first game but for a heartbreaking last minute equalizer.

“So I hope we can achieve our first victory against Qatar Sports Club, that would go a long way to helping us regain our confidence. I trust in my players and I am sure we will get our first victory very soon.”

Radhi Shenaishil for his part was full of confidence after seeing his team rocket up the league table.

“Our ambitions are without limits and I think I have a good team who can win things” Said Shenaishil.

The new head coach said that his main focus since taking over the club has been about changing the players’ psychological state of mind.

With regards to the upcoming match against Al Shamal, Qatar SC has 4 wins and one loss going into the game. With this recent strong form, Shenaishil’s men will be a tough challenge for the Musketeers.

“If we show our true potential then I believe we can compete for the top four places, our performance against El Jaish in the previous round reflects this. Our players are aware that the game against Shamal won’t be easy; their good performances have sadly not been reflected in the standings.”