Antonio Mance has been a mainstay in Umm Salal’s attack ever since he joined the Ooredoo Stars League team ahead of the start of this season.
The 29-year-old Croatian striker is the second-best scorer (which he shares with three other players) with five goals, one behind Baghdad Bounedjah of Al Shamal. And The Orange Fortress are placed in creditable fourth position in the 2024-2025 Ooredoo Stars League after six weeks with 10 points from three victories, one draw and two defeats.
Mance, who has an uncanny ability to get past rivals’ defence, is also topping the scorers’ chart in QSL Cup with four goals after three rounds of action.
In an exclusive interview with Qatar Stars League website, Mance gave his takes on a wide range of topics. He started off by expressing his delight to be playing in Qatar representing Umm Salal.
“Everything is nice for me, the Ooredoo Stars League is highly competitive and Doha is an amazing city. Honestly, I didn’t know much about football in Qatar before I came here. I knew that Croatian great (Mario) Mandzukic played in Al Duhail, so I followed some clubs and that’s how I ended up joining Umm Salal,” said Mance.
Asked how he would carry Umm Salal’s expectations to fare well in the league championship, Mance replied, “Last season (2023-2024), the team did well (Umm Salal lost out the sixth position to Al Duhail on goal difference even though both finished on 28 points) and I hope this season will be even better for us. My target is to score as many goals as I can and assist the team win.
“I have played in Slovakia, Slovenia, France and Germany besides my native country. I came to Qatar from Hungarian club Zalaegerszegi and I’ve found that football in Qatar is hugely different than that in Europe. However, the competitive level is high here. Scoring goals gives me more satisfaction than winning titles.” The tall player said he did not feel much difference between many clubs in Ooredoo Stars League and that Umm Salal could do very well this season with the array of talents in their ranks.
“We couldn’t get a victorious start (lost to Al Rayyan), but we made a strong comeback into the championship (Umm Salal’s three victories include their 3-1 verdict over reigning champions Al Sadd in Week 4). We already played against three big teams – Al Sadd, Al Duhail and Al Rayyan, and it’s a good feeling for us to be in a good position. We’ve a tough schedule ahead and I’m looking forward to a great season.” Mance signed off by saying about his preparations and approach to a game, and also the team balance.
“Personally, I don’t make any special preparations. I focus myself more on every training session and coach (Patrice) Carteron has a specific plan for the team. During a match when the ball is close to the box, I try to somehow score. Of course, we’ve a good team that’s strong in offence, defence, running and fighting for every ball.” (QSL)
