No room for a loss, says Al Sadd star Afif

Influential player Akram Afif warned his teammates that Al Sadd cannot afford to drop points when they take on Qatar Stars League (QSL) leaders Al Duhail on Saturday.
With a tally of 31 points from 15 matches, Doha giants Al Sadd are currently in second place behind Al Duhail who have 35 points.
The kick off time for Saturday’s clash is scheduled for 7:00pm at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, the home turf of Al Sadd.
“A very important and crucial match awaits us against Al Duhail, there is no room for loss, which will end all hopes of competing for the championship title,” Afif said during a press conference.
“The support of Al Sadd fans is very important to us, especially since the match is in our stadium and we need their support,” the Al Sadd star added.
“We as a team do not suffer from any pressure, we play as one team and we always complement each other. Al Sadd is a big club that competes strongly in all tournaments, whether local or continental,” he added.
Al Sadd coach Felix Sanche said: “We have a very difficult match, we will face the league leaders, and it is a crucial match for us, and we are well aware of that, our goal is to win and get the three points, and this is what we will try to achieve.
Sanchez added: “We know that the opposing team has many advantages, but I think we are ready for this match, and we will strive to present a good match and compete strongly. We are now in the second half of the season, and this is our fifth match, I will not say that the result will be decisive, but it will make catching up with them more difficult in the event of not winning.”
Sanchez, former coach of Qatar national team for more than five years, added: “We are confident and optimistic, we will focus on playing our style and achieving a positive result on our home field.”
Al Duhail coach Christophe Galtier said his team is well prepared.
“Of course, after our last match against Al Wakrah, we worked intensively during the last week to prepare for the match against Al Sadd,” Galtier said during a press conference.
“We are fully prepared to face Al Sadd. We must forget the first-leg match and its result, as it is just part of the past, and we must focus completely and play with high spirit in Saturday’s match.
“We must deal with great respect when entering the match. All players must focus on raising their technical and physical level during the coming period, and we must not forget that we have another strong match after this match as well. If we are lucky and are able to win, we will not say that the league has been decided, but it is certainly a decisive match in the race to obtain the league championship,” said Galtier.
Al Duhail ace Michael Olunga said: “Our focus on this match is great because it is a decisive match in our career, but of course it is not the end of the road. We focused completely with the technical staff during training In order to improve performance and correct the mistakes we made in the last match against Al Wakrah.
“Of course, we know very well how important this match is in our journey towards winning the title. Focus, as I mentioned, begins with training, especially on the physical and psychological factors. Becoming the club’s top scorer is a great honour for me. It gives me a strong motivation to continue achieving. Of course, without the support of my team-mates and everyone in the club, this achievement would not have been achieved, but it is only an incentive, as I mentioned, to move forward to achieve more with the team.”

Al Arabi, Al Ahli to face off in Round 16
Al Arabi and Al Ahli will face off in Week 16 of the 2024-2025 season Ooredoo Stars League at the Al Thumama Stadium, on Sunday, The kick-off is at 4.45pm.
The encounters between the two teams are consistently regarded as formidable and thrilling contests. Al Arabi currently hold the 10th position with 16 points, while Al Ahli are in fourth place with 28 points. After a period marked by missed opportunities and defeats, Al Arabi secured a victory last week against Al Khor, winning 4-3, which elevated their total to 16 points. They are determined to advance further in the standings.

QSL fixtures in Round 16
22/02/25
4:45pm Al Gharafa vs Qatar SC at Thani Bin Jassim
4:45pm Al Shamal vs Al Khor at Al Khor Stadium
7:00pm Al Sadd vs Al Duhail at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium

23/02/25
4:45pm Al Shahania vs Umm Salal at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium4:45pm Al Arabi vs Al Ahli at Al Thumama
7:00pm Al Wakrah vs Al Rayyan at 974 Stadium