Al Duhail First Football Team Head Coach Djamel Belmadi emphasized the importance of winning the upcoming match against Al Ahli in the Doha Bank Stars League, which will bring the two teams together on Friday as part of the tenth round.
Belmadi began his statements during the pre-match press conference, saying: “Undoubtedly, Al Ahli match is important for us to correct the course we are currently on, which does not reflect the true image of the club, nor the level or results we are striving for. The match is being played on our home ground and in front of our fans, and given our lower position and points in the league table, the match gains importance. Following the difficult and disappointing scenario in the previous match, which was not easy for us to accept at all, it has become necessary for us to close the chapter on the past and focus on what lies ahead. We concluded our preparations normally and with a high spirit of seriousness and focus.”
Belmadi added: “We made many mistakes that we would prefer not to have happened. We started Al Sailiya game perfectly, we were at our usual level and we were good, but suddenly we lost focus and the course of the game turned. We face a real problem in managing periods of dominance, and especially moments of weakness in every match. There are moments when you control the flow of the game, which should be as long as possible, and we must utilize these moments optimally to score and avoid conceding goals, which is what we succeeded in doing at the start of Al Sailiya match. Then came the moments of weakness that allowed Al Sailiya to dominate, which is a natural thing that all other teams learn and go through.”
Belmadi concluded his remarks by saying: “The recent break might be beneficial and unbeneficial at the same time. It would certainly be beneficial if the squad were complete with all players present. When you lose half the number of players due to international commitments or injuries, matters naturally become more complicated. Nevertheless, I can say that the remaining players who worked with us during the last international break delivered good performance, worked diligently, and showed good levels during training. We are in a poor position in the standing table, and we must improve our situation, which has become a top priority for us. We have worked seriously and enforced discipline within the team, but all of this must now be translated onto the pitch, which is the reality that must be executed in football.
