Relegation Threat Looms As Al Kharaitiyat Eye Full Points
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SPORT Thursday 1 February 2018 PAGE | 30 PAGE | 31 PAGE | 36 India eye early Historic night for QSL giants enterer mmomentumo in ODI James Harden in Round 15 with sseries against SA Rockets’ win eye on ACL Pellegri Relegation threat looms as follows risky path Al Kharaitiyat eye full points REUTERS ARMSTRONG VAS ZURICH: Pietro Pellegri’s THE PENINSULA A file picture of the Al Sadd players celebrating a goal move from Genoa to Monaco during the QNB Stars League match. was one of the most eye- DOHA: Al Kharaitiyat is aiming catching of the January to move away from the relega- transfer window but previ- tion zone and force their way up ous cases suggest the on the QNB Stars League (QSL) 16-year-old Italian is walk- standings. ing on a treacherous path. The best way for the strug- Monaco were widely gling side – languishing at the reported to have paid 25m 11th position with just nine points euros ($31 million) for Pellegri is to pocket wins in the upcom- who showed his enormous ing encounters. potential in September when And that is precisely what Al he became the youngest Kharaitiyat coach Yasser Sebaie player to score twice in a is targeting ahead of their Week Serie A game. 15 match against Al Sailiya. Football can be a cruel Sebaie took over as coach sport, however, and numerous after the club management prodigies, such as Alexandre sacked the Tunisian coach Pato, Freddy Adu and Reimond Ahmad Al Ajlani’s. The 0-2 loss Manco, have slipped into rel- to Al Khor last week resulted in ative obscurity in the last dismissal of Ajlan. decade after an early move to “Our team is going through a big club turned sour. The rou- a tough phase, there is no doubt tine is all-too familiar; the about it. I have just taken charge youngster moves to a big club, following the departure of fails to make an immediate or Ahmad Al Ajlani and got only two through injuries and Josue Mohy Markhiya 4-1 last week. They far as we are concerned. We win eye to overtake Duhail and sustained impact and is then days to work with the players. due to suspension as he had had suffered a 0-6 defeat at the must be wary of Al Khor. They they hope some of the teams will loaned to a smaller club where We have a serious problem picked up a fourth yellow card hands of Al Sadd in the previous have good strikers who can do a favour by ending the he also disappoints, leading to ahead of our game against a in the last match against Al Khor, week and had drawn 1-1 with Al come hard at us. It is not a great unbeaten run of the league lead- a downwards spiral. strong side like Al Sailiya. We which we lost 0-2,” Sebaie said Arabi in Week 12. Yet, The Per- thing that we have conceded ers and they do not drop points Brazilian Pato is one of will miss five players, four on the eve of the match. egrines were lucky to have many goals,” he added. on the way. the most eye-catching cases. “I hope our new recruit, stayed fourth. “Our defence is not bad. We At 17, he had an extraordinary QSL WEEK 15 FIXTURES Yemeni midfielder Ahmad Al However, Sam Trabelsi’s will miss Abdulrahman Al Harazi professional debut for Inter- Today’s match Hifi, comes good in the remain- men cannot afford to drop points who has gone back to Al Rayyan QSL STANDINGS nacional when he scored after 18:45: Al Kharaitiyat vs Al Sailiya, ing games and I wish him good if they are not to lose the fourth even though he was not doing 94 seconds, set up two more Al Khor Stadium luck. We can still move up in the position to Umm Salal who are that great with us. In fact, we QSL Standings at the end of Round 14 and headed against the post February 2 standings. I have been associated breathing down their neck with needed him more than Al Al Duhail 14 11 0 3 50 19 36 in a 4-1 win over Palmeiras. 16:35 : Al Ahli vs Al Duhail, Al Ahli Stadium with the team for five years now three points adrift of them. Rayyan,” he added. Al Sadd 14 11 2 1 40 15 34 After only 10 appearances 16:35: Al Markhiya vs Al Rayyan, Al Arabi and I know the players well,” he “All games are difficult. Our “Overall, our performance is Al Rayyan 14 10 2 2 37 22 32 - the same number that Pel- Stadium added. main target against Al Kharaiti- good and we are far away from Al Sailiya 14 7 5 2 30 25 23 legri made for Genoa -- he February 3 “I know our situation is pre- yat is to play how we did last the danger zone. But to stay in Umm Salal 14 5 4 5 23 22 20 joined AC Milan and made a 18:45: Al Arabi vs Umm Salal, carious. In fact, many teams are week when we beat Al Markhiya the fourth position, we must Al Gharafa 14 4 5 5 22 24 17 good start, only to suffer a Al Arabi Stadium facing problems and are under 4-1. We are also going through a work more and get more posi- Al Ahli 14 4 6 4 17 22 16 remarkable sequence of mus- 16:35: Al Khor vs Al Gharafa, pressure, not just us. We can stay difficult stage and we worked a tive results. Our ambition is a Al Khor 14 4 8 2 16 26 14 cle injures. Al Khor Stadium clear of the danger zone with one lot on the psychological aspects top-four finish,” Trabelsi said. Qatar SC 14 3 8 3 14 31 12 He returned to Brazil to 18:45: Qatar SC vs Al Sadd, or two victories,” said Yasser. ahead of this game,” Trabelsi Al Duhail lead the table fol- Al Arabi 14 2 7 5 17 27 11 join Corinthians in 2013 and, Al Kharaitiyat 14 2 9 3 17 35 9 Qatar SC Stadium Al Sailiya is on 23 points and said. lowed by Al Sadd in the second still only 28, now plays for Al Markhiya 14 1 8 5 9 24 8 will aim look to continue their “This match is not so crucial followed by Al Rayyan. Chinese club Tianjin winningwinning ways,ways, havinghaving beaten Al for us, but an important one as In the coming days, Al Sadd Quanjian. Playing for Al Sadd a big challenge: Afif RIZWAN REHMATREHM Belgium and I wish to play with a THE PENINSPENINSULAU strong team like Al Sadd and make my contribution to club by winning DOHA:DOHA: AlAl Sadd’sSadd new winger Akram matches with this side. There are Afif, the star ofof Qatar’s enterprising many domestic and AFC challenges showshow atat lastlast month’smo AFC U-23 Asian for Al Sadd,” he added. CupCup campaign,cam yesterday said “I’m happy to be back at Al Sadd playingplayi for the Doha giants and I promise everyone that I will do is ‘a‘a big challenge’. my best to always give 100 percent The 21-year-old was on the pitch and help the team win unveiledun as an Al Sadd matches and trophies,” Afif said. playerpl after a loan deal “This team includes seniors and withwit Villareal came to an professionals of the highest order. end,end, thet club announced on Working with them with them will its websitewebsit yesterday. Akram Afif poses with the Al Sadd shirt during be very exciting. Hopefully we will AfifAfif is expectedexpe to join Barca leg- his unveiling ceremony in Doha yesterday. be able to lead the team to success end Xavi whowho is the captain at Al in the coming matches. I hope to see SaddSadd andand QatarQatar national team striker Al Sadd at the top always,” he said. Hassan AlAl Haydos.Hay helped his team-mate Alimoez Ali The youngster, born and brought Al Sadd, placed second behind “Joining Al Sadd is a new but big score 6 goals at the same event. up in Doha, launched his young points leaders Al Duhail on the QNB challengechallenge forfor me.m It is a great respon- Afif has appeared in 29 interna- career with Al Markhiya before join- Stars League table, take on Qatar SC sibility and honourho for any young tionals for Qatar since September ing Al Sadd juniors. on Saturday in a round 15 clash. Al pplayerlayer to jojoinin Al Sadd,” Afif said 2015 and has scored five goals. His “When I was promoted to the Duhail have 36 points from 14 yesterday.yesterday. recent strike came against Yemen in youth team (of Al Sadd), I moved to matches while Al Sadd have a tally “I pray thatthat I am successful with a Gulf Cup match at the end of Spain with Villarreal. In between I of 34. Third-placed Al Rayyan have my shortshort stint anda that I get the con- December in Kuwait. moved to Sporting Gijon,” Afif said 32 points. fidencefidence of coachcoac Jesualdo Ferreira,” “It is a dream of mine to be part yesterday. The club yesterday announced hehe added.added. of a winning team at Al Sadd. I will “(In 2017), I finally returned to influential Algerian winger Jugurtha AfifAfif withwith threeth goals to his credit be playing for them until the end of Eupen but this is the first time I will Hamroun will miss the next clash helpedhelped QatarQatar finish third at the the season,” Afif said.