Doha: Al Duhail coach Djamel Belmadi stressed the importance of tomorrow's match against leaders Al Shamal at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, in the eighth round of the Doha Bank Stars League. Talking to the media ahead of their 2025-2026 season Doha Bank Stars League Week 8 match against Al Shamal, Belmadi said: "We are fully aware of the importance of facing Al Shamal, the league leaders. Last season's match saw Al Shamal dominate by a large margin, and it was this match that prevented us from winning the league title.

According to Qatar News Agency, Belmadi emphasized the need for his team to cope with the pressure from consecutive matches, as they moved directly from the match against Al Wahda to preparing for the league match against Al Shamal. He mentioned that the international break had both positive and negative impacts on the team's preparation. The break allowed for the correction of some mistakes, yet it also affected the team after a series of positive results. Belmadi also pointed out the impact of Al Wahda's international players who had played a match against the national team and a league match, suggesting it affected Al Duhail's performance, though he insisted it was no excuse for the outcome.

Al Shamal's coach, David Prats, expressed readiness for a tough encounter against a well-established team like Al Duhail, which frequently performs well in competitions such as the AFC Champions League. Prats acknowledged the challenges posed by facing a team with top-class players and competent technical staff but conveyed his confidence in his team's ability to perform and achieve the desired result.

Al Shamal currently leads the standings with 14 points, ahead on goal difference from second-placed Qatar SC, while Al Duhail holds the sixth position with 8 points.