Al Rayyan defeated Saudi Arabia’s Neom SC 2-0 in the first match of the day.
DOHA: With their preseason training camp in the Spanish city of Alicante nearing its end, Al Rayyan wrapped up a busy day with morale-boosting victories in two friendly matches yesterday.
In the first match of the day, the Artur Jorge-coached side defeated Saudi Arabia’s Neom SC 2-0. Roger Guedes opened the scoring in the fifth minute, with Mohammed Surag sealing the win in the 21st minute, as two first-half goals proved enough for Al Rayyan.
Action during the match between Al Rayyan and Cotillas CD.
Later in the evening, the Lions defeated Cotillas CD by the same scoreline in what was their sixth friendly match during their three-week training camp, which will conclude tomorrow. Khalid Ali gave the side a lead in the 26th minute, with Ali Al Qahtani scoring in the 47th minute.
In earlier games, Al Rayyan defeated Malaysia’s Johor 1-0 in their opening match, before losing 0-2 to Spain’s Albacete and 0-1 to Andorra. They also played out a goalless draw against another Spanish side CD Minera.
Al Rayyan showed promise during the last domestic campaign but ended without a trophy – finishing as runners-up in the Amir Cup after a defeat to Al Gharafa in the final, and placing fifth in the Qatar Stars League standings.
They have undergone a significant pre-season rebuild with several high-profile changes during the transfer window. Among them, the club welcomed back Qatari forward Ahmed Alaaeldin from Al Arabi on a contract running until 2027. Defensive reinforcements included Bahaa Ellethy from Al Ahli on a deal through 2028, and young defender Abdullah Yousef, who signed a contract until 2030.
Recently, Al Rayyan also announced the signing of Brazilian midfielder Gregory da Silva from Botafogo on a deal running through 2027.
On the departure side, the club parted ways with several key players, including Brazilian defender Thiago Mendes, Paraguayan striker Adam Bareiro, Brazilian goalkeeper Paulo Victor, Egyptian winger Mahmoud Trezeguet, Qatari midfielder Abdulrahman Al Harazi and Iranian midfielder Ali Qaderi.
Al Rayyan will kick off the new QSL season with an opening match against Al Sailiya on August 14 at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. The club will also represent Qatar in the eight-team Gulf Club Champions League 2025-2026 season.
