Doha: Al Gharafa coach Pedro Martins affirmed his team's readiness for their match against Al Ahli on Saturday, within the eighth round of the Doha Bank Stars League. Talking to the media ahead of their Week 8 match against Al Ahli, Martins said: 'The match represents a strong incentive to advance in the standings. Al Ahli's position in the standings does not reflect the true level of the team, so we expect it to be a difficult match.'

According to Qatar News Agency, Al Gharafa has devoted two days of preparation to the recovery process in order to prepare the players physically well, and then began working on the strategy they will employ for the match. Meanwhile, Al Ahli coach Igor Biscan spoke to the media ahead of their match against Al Gharafa saying: 'Al Ahli will strive to perform well, strengthening our position in the league following our victory in the last round against Al Shahania. The victory was important for us to advance in the league standings with the team's third victory.'

Biscan emphasized the need for Al Ahli to perform well following the disappointing draw the team suffered in the third round of AFC Champions League against Turkmenistan's Arkadag. The team has closed its Asian qualifiers and the focus will now be on the match against Al Gharafa, aiming to achieve a result that satisfies their fans.