Al Wakrah coach Marquez Lopez spoke to the media ahead of their 2019-20 QNB Stars League Week 17 match against Al Gharafa.

“All our players, except injured Osman Coulibaly, are ready for the game. I was sad and angry that we lost to Umm Salal last week as it was a crucial game for us. Had we won, we would have got closer to the top four.

“I have told my players about the importance of the match with Al Gharafa and that it is worth a lot of points. If we win it, we will move closer to the top four. If we lose, the situation will be very difficult.

“Al Gharafa were very good at the beginning of the season, but their performance declined. Yet, they are a large club with good players and have signed a good striker.

Al Wakrah are no better than Al Gharafa as we have suffered back-to-back defeats. We must compensate for the losses,” said Marquez.