DOHA: Al Arabi coach has urged his players to stay motivated despite a recent surge in form, saying their QSL clash against Al Kharaitiyat ‘would be a tough one’.
Al Arabi have scored wins over QSL giants Lekhwiya and Qatar SC besides playing a feisty draw against title aspirants Al Sadd.
Coach Gianfranco Zola, who has helped Al Arabi to reach fourth on the QSL points table, wants the trend to continue.
“It’s a league which has become more competitive. Every game is getting more and more important. After we have played Lekhwiya, Al Rayyan and Al Sadd, now we have a match that is not as difficult in terms of personnel,” Zola said yesterday. “Al Kharaitiyat, with all due respect, is not on the level of those three teams. But it will be a difficult match. Players have done well against the bigger teams. But suddenly when they come up against a team that is not at that level, players will take it easy,” Zola warned.
“And that’s dangerous for the team. From my personal experience with Chelsea, one season we lost the title because we lost matches that we should have won,” Zola recalled.
“We defeated Arsenal, Chelsea and then lost to Sunderland and West Ham. So it’s down to players to find the motivation to play a team that’s not as strong as our three recent matches and get the three points that will be very important,” the Italian said.
Zola said Al Arabi will miss the services of Boualem Khoukhi and Dame Traore.
“We will miss Boualem and Traore, they are both out,” Zola said.
“We know how important Boualem is for us. He is an influential player, he’s our captain. We are disappointed for Dame Traore,” Zola added.
“He wanted to play but to come up with an injury against Al Sadd is sad for him. It could have been his moment. For tomorrow’s match we tried some solutions to replace Dame and Boualem.
“I believe a lot in the team. I know that with Boualem we are a strong team. But we showed against Sadd that we can still do well,” Zola said.
Al Kharaitiyat coach Amar Osim is expecting a tough match today at Al Arabi Stadium.
“It will be a very difficult game. But all the games have gotten more difficult this year,” Osim said.
“As I have been saying, teams are stronger than last year and more solid. It will be a difficult game for us especially since we are playing a strong team like Arabi,” Osim added.
“They look much more dangerous than last year. They have brought in a few players, and a new coach and their formation. Well, they changed everything. And it is working for them. Even though they have had very difficult games - Al Rayyan, Al Sadd and Lekhwiya, they have shown their potential,” Osim pointed out.
“They are a very good team with the potential to become like those big teams that they played against recently. In three of those games Al Arabi have played with 10 players.
“I think quite soon they can be at the same level as the top clubs. They have fans which is an advantage for any club here. They are a big club in Qatar,” Osim said.
“The structure of the league is such that you have two teams, usually the promoted teams, who struggle. But right now one of the teams that were promoted (Al Rayyan) is at the top of the table.”
“So, all teams will struggle more this season. And the first seven rounds have shown that. So you can see that it will be difficult for teams like us.”
“We have to get Abdel Fattah scoring regularly like last season. This year he scored two goals and we took points in both those games. We hope that he works hard and will improve and vice-versa. He will help the team to get better,” Osim said.
Al Kharaitiyat are in ninth spot in the QSL points standings.
The Peninsula
