Al Wakrah players during a training session yesterday.
Doha, Qatar: The new Qatar Stars League season gets underway at the iconic Lusail Stadium today, with Al Wakrah and Qatar SC carrying the honour of launching the 2026-2027 campaign.
The season opener kicks off at 5.15pm.
Al Wakrah head into the campaign under Chilean coach Jose Luis Sierra, who has overseen an intensive pre-season programme in France and Doha.
The Blue Wave faced Nantes, FC Rouen and Stade Malherbe Caen during their French camp, losing 1-5, 0-1 and 1-4 respectively.
They also produced an encouraging 2-0 win over Stade Brestois before returning to Doha, where they narrowly lost 2-3 to Al Gharafa in their final friendly.
Sierra believes his team are ready despite having to work around several challenges.
Qatar SC's Fallou Diouf (left) and Sebastian Soria in action during a training session.
“Given the circumstances and the limited resources available to us, including some players who joined us late due to their participation in the World Cup, as well as some absences, I believe we are now well-prepared for the start of the competition,” said Sierra.
“The recent friendly match against Al Gharafa was an important test and a good gauge of what awaits us in the next stage, and it confirmed that the team is on the right track.”
Al Wakrah have added Tameem Mansour Muftah, while Sierra can also rely on attacking players Amine Zahzouh, Redouane Berkane, Jacinto Dala and Ayoub Assal.
Qatar SC coach Marquez Lopez during a pre-match press conference.
Berkane said the pre-season matches had helped the squad prepare for the challenge ahead.
“We are aware of the difficulty of facing Qatar SC and the importance of a strong start,” he said. “Our goal is to have an outstanding season, compete for titles and bring joy to Al Wakrah fans.”
Qatar SC begin the season under Spanish coach Marquez Lopez after completing their preparations in Spain. The Kings drew 0-0 with Club Costa City, lost 0-2 to Murcia, beat Futbol Jobs 5-0 and drew 2-2 with Malaysian giants Johor FC.
“I am very happy to start a new season and pleased with the effort, work, and commitment I have seen from the players during the pre-season,” Lopez said.
The Qatar SC coach expects a demanding opener against Al Wakrah.
“Last season we couldn’t beat Al Wakrah, so we are facing a tough challenge against a difficult team, and we must give our best to achieve the result we are aiming for,” he said.
Qatar SC have strengthened their squad with Abdullah Al Marafi, Pau Prim, Albert Luque and Yassin Lafrid, while Bruno Tabata has returned to the club.
Prim said: “I am extremely happy to join Qatar SC and very excited about this experience. From day one, I have been training hard and working diligently to prepare for the new season.”
Al Wakrah coach Jose Luis Sierra during a press conference yesterday.
Later today, l Rayyan will begin their campaign against newly-promoted Lusail at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium at 7.30pm.
The Lions have made 13 changes ahead of the new season, bringing in Ahmed Al Janahi, Jassim Al Sharshani, Yousef Ayman, Diogo Amaro and Daouda Diakite. They also completed a three-week training camp in Spain, where they played four friendlies, recording a 3-3 draw with Rochdale, a 1-0 defeat to Albacete, a 2-1 win over Al Diriyah and a 2-1 loss to Leganes.
Lusail SC, meanwhile, will make their historic top-flight debut after winning the Second Division title last season. The newcomers have made 19 squad changes, with eight new players joining their ranks under Portuguese coach Emanuel Mesquita.
Lusail SC players underwent training in the Netherlands, where they lost 5-0 to Dordrecht, beat Den Bosch 2-1 and drew 0-0 with Volendam.
The opening week action continues tomorrow with Al Gharafa facing Al Shahania and Al Arabi taking on Al Shamal. On Friday, Al Duhail meet Al Sailiya before Al Sadd face Al Ahli in the evening’s final fixture.
