Doha: Al Shahania coach Alvaro Mejia and Al Arabi coach Younes Ali spoke to the media ahead of their 2024-2025 season Ooredoo Stars League Week 1 match slated for Sunday at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
Mejia said: "Despite the late arrival of some players, the team is now complete and ready for the match, and we respect Al Arabi a lot as they are a strong team with distinguished players." He went on saying: "Playing in the Ooredoo Stars League is a big challenge for us. The team qualified for advanced stages in the Amir Cup, which gave us the opportunity to play with top teams when we were in the Second Division. There is a big difference between the Second Division and First Division in terms of capabilities, players or matches. We will fight against Al Arabi and give our one hundred per cent." "My goal is to have stability for the team. I urge everyone to follow Al Shahania and see the fighting spirit with which the team will play during the league matches," said Alvaro Mejia.
For his part, Al Arabi coach Younes Ali said: "We are ready for the start of the league and the match against Al Shahania, and despite the difficulty of the beginning, we are able to come out with a positive result from the match." "We are fully prepared for the start of the new season, and the players are physically and psychologically ready for the start of the league. We played a number of friendly matches during the preparation period, which gave us the opportunity to try out different formations and find the right combination for the team. I am very satisfied with the level of the players and their dedication in training and their determination to achieve the desired results," he added.
"Al Shahania are a team coming with great ambitions and will not be an easy competitor, and the beginnings are always difficult, and we hope to come out with a positive result from the match," said Younes.
Source: Qatar News Agency