Al Gharafa players celebrate a goal during the QNB Stars League match in this file picture.
DOHA: For sure, no other team will start the QNB Stars League’s second-phase campaign a transformed lot than Al Gharafa.
They can take the field with renewed vigour and boosted confidence for many reasons.
It is against this backdrop that seventh-placed Al Gharafa (11 points) travel to sixth-placed Al Ahli (14 points) for their Week 12 game for the 4.20pm kick off on Friday.
The Cheetahs saw many positive changes during the QNB Stars League’s month-long break, which witnessed the semifinals and final of QSL Cup being played and also the Gulf Cup in Kuwait.
First, Al Gharafa triumphed in the sixth edition of QSL Cup, defeating Al Rayyan in the final. Thus, they ended their long title drought, of five seasons. They had qualified for the semifinals with an unbeaten record.
Turk Bulent Uygun then replaced Jean Fernandez as coach after the Frenchman parted ways with the club by mutual consent. Uygun had a long stint with Qatar’s Umm Salal.
Al Gharafa defender Almahdi Ali admitted that the match against Al Ahli would be difficulty especially since it comes after a long gap and at the start of second phase of league competition.
He said it was a foregone conclusion that both mid-table sides would go all out for a win and bag full points to get themselves a strong start to the second half of the season.
“All these factors make me admit how tough the encounter will be and no one can predict the result,” said Almahdi.
Coach Uygun familiarity with Qatar’s football scene should help him stand in good stead as Al Gharafa embark on the second half of the season with great hopes and high ambitions.
Al Gharafa could register only two wins in the first phase and Bulent straightaway got down to business by putting the players through their paces over two sessions daily.
The friendly they played against Qatar SC gave Bulent an opportunity to try out various combinations before giving a final shape to his strategy.
To top it all, Al Gharafa pulled off a coup of sorts by roping in Dutch star Wesley Sneijder for one-and-a-half seasons. The 33-year-old attacking midfielder has an impressive CV in his illustrious club as well as country career.
“It’s very difficult. The points we lost during the first phase made things tough for us. However, we still hope to be among the top-four teams.
Also, we hope to beat Uzbek side Pakhtakor in the AFC Champions league play-off and qualify for the tournament proper. The QSL Cup triumph has further motivated us,”Almahdi said.
In fact, Al Gharafa and Al Ahli, both mid-table teams, are the only sides playing their first match post-break under new coaches.
Al Ahli handed the reins to youth team coach George Jorge immediately after Spaniard Joaquin Caparros quit the job because of personal reasons, dealing a blow to The Brigadiers at a time when they were on a high after doing well towards the end of first phase.
Al Ahli had registered shock wins over strong contenders Al Rayyan and Al Sailiya in the last two rounds. They have recorded double the number of wins than Al Gharafa, but have a goal difference of -4 as against the rivals’ -1. Although they lost to German Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, who were in Doha for their annual winter training camp at Aspire, by a big margin, the friendly provided Jorge with a chance to assess his players in a match situation for the first time at the senior level.
Almahdi said Al Gharafa had a slight advantage over Al Ahli.
“Both teams have quality players. In my opinion, the team having more ball possession and making less mistakes will win the game. We’ve many distinguished players in our ranks and, with more harmony and team spirit, we can achieve a positive result,” he said.
Both sides go into the game under new coaches. Al Gharafa replaced Frenchman Jean Fernandez with Uygun, who has previously coached Umm Salal for long, while Al Ahli now rely on their youth team coach Jorge following the resignation of fellow-Spaniard Joaquin Caparros due to personal reasons.
Almahdi pointed out the fact that, with a new coach at the helm, the players were more excited and motivated, and are ready to play to their full potential.
“We truly aim at changing the team’s image in the league and improving our position in the table,” he said.
The player gave his takes on Al Gharafa’s performance in the first phase and his expectations from the second.
“Definitely, there’s a huge difference between the first and second phase mainly because of the weather factor. We’re very keen to improve our seventh place, which belittles Al Gharafa’s reputation and history,” he said.
“There’s no doubt that he’s a big star with huge experience and credentials. I believe Al Gharafa needed such a big name in the team. It’s also a great opportunity for young players to benefit from his expertise. I’m lucky to be playing alongside a player of huge repute such as Sneijder,” he said about the Dutchman joining the QNB Stars League side,
