Going by form and strength, Al Rayyan should have it easy against Al Kharaitiyat in their QNB Stars League today. Argentinian striker Jonathan Menendez may make his debut for Al Rayyan as his paper works from old club Independiente have been completed.
The Lions will also be bolstered by the return of Abdulrahman al-Harazi, who missed Al Rayyan’s goalless draw with Al Duhail in Week 3. So are Ahmad Al Saadi and Salah Al Lahari, who did duty for Qatar at the Asian Games in Indonesia.
Al Rayyan coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena said his team is working hard to improve their game. “We’ll go for a win aginst Al Kharaitiyat, just like we did against Al Duhail. We’ll put up a good fight. Our performance has been good in three matches. We’ve to improve with the ball. Overall, I’ve found that we’ve our chances to finish among the top in the league,” the Argentine said.
Al Kharaitiyat are the only team yet to open their account having lost all their matches. They are taking the field for the first time under new coach Aziz al-Amri, who replaced Nassif al-Bayawi. Former Al Sadd striker Jugurtha Hamroun may make his debut for Al Kharaitiyat.
Al-Amri said his focus is to end Al Kharaitiyat’s losing streak. “We’ve suffered three consecutive defeats and our problem is psychological. One victory can change the situation. As of now, I’m new and my focus is on arresting the losing streak,” said the Moroccan.
“I’ve never coached outside Morocco. I’m learning more about the QNB Stars League. I had only watched some games of Al Rayyan last season when Abderrazaq Hamdallah (Moroccan striker) played for them. We’ll try to improve our performance and start getting good results,” he added.
“Overall, the team looks stronger than last season. I still have time to work on the team this season. I have been focusing on the side’s tactical combinations since last Friday. We also worked on the defensive aspect.”
In the second match of the day, Al Arabi will take on Umm Salal. Both the teams are coming off victories, which promises the match to be a thriller. Al Arabi will be without Mudir Abdurabu through injury and Ahmed al-Nehawi through suspension.
Franco Hurtado spearheads Al Arabi’s challenge, supported by Diego Jardel, Mailson de Farias, Ahmed Ibrahim, Mohamed Salah El Neel, Fahd Khalfan and Ahmed Fathi. Umm Salal may get back the services of Nigerian striker Christian Osaguona who was nursing an injury. They also have the likes of Yannick Sagbo, Mahmoud Al Mawas and Ismail Mahmoud.
fxitures
Today: Al Rayyan vs Al Kharaitiyat (17:10) and Al Arabi vs Umm Salal (19:20) at the Al Sadd Stadium
Tomorrow: Al Sadd vs Al Shahania (17:10) and Qatar SC vs Al Duhail (19:20) at the Khalifa International Stadium
Al Kharaitiyat’s new coach coach Aziz al-Amri.
