Lekhwiya players in action during a practice session on the eve of their AFC Champions League match against UAE's Al Jazira. INSET: TOP - Lekhwiya coach Djamel Belmadi sepaks to media during a press conference held yesterday.
Lekhwiya coach Djamel Belmadi yesterday said his team will settle for nothing less than a win against UAE's Al Jazira when the two clash in an AFC Champions League game today.
A win today at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium will see Lekhwiya securing safe passage to last 16 with a round to spare.
Belmadi underlined his team's winning mentality that helped the Red Knights' win their fifth QSL title nearly two weeks ago.
"In Qatar, we are one team and one club and even friendly games we want to win everything," Bemladi said at a press conference yesterday.
"Even in training, we always try to put this philosophy in trying to win everything. At the same time, we lost the Qatar Cup (semi-final) and wanted to win but we made mistakes.
"We had a lot of chances to win the game and the attitude of the players was amazing. The team never accepts to lose and want to win and have preferred to qualify for the final but that’s not the case."
"We put this behind us and concentrate on this game," the Algerian said.
Belmadi said his team would not be complacent going into their Group B clash.
"We have not qualified yet and even if it’s 99 per cent, it’s not 100 per cent. We want to take the three points and have a full squad available. We will respect the opponent and want to take the three points. We know Al Jazira are finished in this competition but for us we are still in the race and first in the group. But still nothing is finished and there are three teams for the top two spots and we take this game seriously, " Belmadi said.
"Al Jazira will do the same even though they are eliminated. Al Jazira are a big club and they will want to do well and we know it will not be any easy game," Belmadi said.
Meanwhile, Al Jazira's Dutch coach Henk ten Cate also said that they are looking for a positive result against the Qatari champions.
"It’s a very difficult match. Before I said in the first game, that they are favourites to win the group and are a very good side who play good football. Of course, I would love to have challenged them right from the start and everybody knows we focused on the league and now we almost have the league, we want a positive result and that positive result is a win. As a club like Al Jazira should not leave the tournament without a win and will play the best team as possible. Mabkkhout is out with a hamstring injury. We have to wait and see how his reaction is and start with the best team possible and try to win the match," Carte said.
