Al Duhail First Football Team Head Coach Djamel Belmadi emphasized the importance of securing a victory against Qatar SC in the upcoming match this Sunday at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium. The game is part of Round 11 of the Doha Bank Stars League.

Opening the pre-match press conference, Belmadi stated: “We have returned to league action after a long break. Everyone knows that the team current ranking is not at all consistent with our ambitions as the first half of the season concludes. It is vital to get the three points and improve our overall standing at the end of this round.”

Belmadi added: “Every match in this league is difficult. Qatar SC started the season strongly, though they haven’t produced their usual level or results in the last three matches. However, we want to focus on ourselves—specifically our lack of consistency and fluctuating results. We will strive to do everything necessary to win and deliver a performance worthy of this club.”

Addressing Injuries and Absences
Continuing his remarks, Belmadi said: “We have dealt with several influential absences since the start of the season. Team captain Al Moez Ali has been out since the beginning, and he is a very important player. We’ve also missed Tuta, a defensive pillar who was injured while performing at a high level. On top of that, we lost our starting goalkeeper Salah Zakaria, as well as Karim Boudiaf and Marco Verratti. Furthermore, Adel Boulbina joined the Algerian national team for the Africa Cup of Nations. All of these absences have hindered the team progress.”

Belmadi concluded: “I know we should be focusing on the league today, but as you saw, the absence of Adel and Verratti in the recent Asian match versus the Iranian Club Tractor greatly affected both our performance and the result—just as Edmilson’s absence did against Al-Hilal. However, these are not excuses. We must bounce back quickly and continue working to ensure a strong showing in the second half of the league and the remainder of our AFC Champions League Elite campaign.