Tribune News Network
Doha
Al Rayyan and Al Shahania will kick off the new season of QSL Cup with a Group A clash at the Grand Hamad Stadium on Friday at 6:30 pm. Later, at 8:30 pm, Al Duhail will take on Qatar SC at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium, while Al Arabi will face Al Ahli at the Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium in other Group A opening match.
The tournament is being held during the international break with Ooredoo Stars League in pause as many senior stars are on national team duty. It will provide a wonderful opportunity for the coaches to blood in fringe players.
Al Rayyan’s coach Poya Asbaghi will experiment with various tactical and technical strategies, potentially giving opportunities to players who have had limited participation in previous matches.
Al Rayyan currently sits eighth in the league standings, having accumulated three points from one victory and two defeats.
Meanwhile, Al Shahania, under coach Alvaro Mejia, will use the tournament as a platform to assess players and address mistakes made in league matches. The team is currently placed 11th with two points from two draws and one loss. This tournament offers a fresh opportunity for the team to rebuild confidence, refocus, and work towards eliminating recent errors.
Al Duhail and Qatar SC enter the tournament with the aim of competing for the title. Both coaches will seek to develop technical and tactical plans to maximize their teams’ performance. Al Duhail, who lead the Ooredoo Stars League standings with nine points from three wins, will look to continue their winning form. Qatar SC, currently ninth with three points from one win and two losses, will also be seeking a positive result. The two teams last met in Week 1 of the league championship, where Al Duhail won 6-1.
Al Duhail coach Christopher Galtier will use the QSL Cup to prepare all of his players, including those returning from injuries or who have been on the bench. The Frenchman will be hoping for a repeat of their previous performance against Qatar SC. Qatar SC coach Yousef Al Noubi will focus on restoring the team’s strength, ironing out flaws, and building on positives in preparation for upcoming matches.
Al Arabi, who finished as runners-up last season after losing to Umm Salal in the final, aim to use this tournament under coach Younes Ali to realign the team’s trajectory and adequately prepare the players before returning from the international break.
This season, The Dream Team has yet to secure a victory in the league, recording two draws and one loss, resulting in a total of two points. They managed to draw against Al Shahania in the opening round, followed by another draw with Al Wakrah, and suffered a defeat against Al Sadd in the third round.
Al Arabi have bolstered their squad by signing Jordanian forward Yazan Al Naimat, though he will be unavailable for this match as he is representing his national team. Several other international players have also joined their national teams during this period in preparation for upcoming international competitions.
Conversely, Al Ahli, coached by Croatian Igor Biscan, have been delivering impressive performances since the season’s outset in the league. This strong showing has enabled them to secure second place in the standings with seven points, trailing leaders Al Duhail by two points, having won two matches and drawn one.
The team relies on the exceptional skills of striker Oumar Sekou, who has been outstanding in attack, alongside German midfielder Julian Draxler. The Brigadiers aim to demonstrate their preparedness through the QSL Cup and secure their inaugural victory in the tournament against Al Arabi.
