Sports Thursday, August 29, 2019 15 Sheikh Ali Faria rues players’ absence as elected as president of Al Rayyan Club Al Duhail face Al Arabi today QNA DOHA season. It’s going to be dif- Al Wakrah, ficult challenge. For us, the THE extraordinary General most important thing is not Assembly of Al Rayyan Club Qatar Sports to make mistakes that cause elected HE Sheikh Ali bin losses,” Hallgrimsson said. Saud bin Ahmed al Thani Club to clash as president of the club dur- at Jassim Bin Al Wakrah vs ing the by-elections held on Qatar Sports Club Tuesday after the quorum Hamad Stadium was completed with the at- In the early kickoff on Thurs- tendance of 25 members, TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK day, Al Wakrah will host QSC two-thirds of the members. DOHA at the Al Sadd Stadium with Ali Salem Afifa was elect- both teams looking to bounce ed as the club’s vice president. AFTER a hard fought victory back after opening day defeats. The new board of direc- over Qatar Sports Club in the Al Wakrah lost to cur- tors of Al Rayan also decided opening week of the 2019/20 rent champions Al Sadd but to appoint Ali Ateeq al Abdul- QNB Stars League, Al Duhail coach Marquez Lopez says lah as CEO of the club. coach Rui Faria says the Red it could be the beginning of Knights need to take their victories for the Waves. opportunities in coming “We’ll work hard to beat games. Qatar SC. I wish it would be The Portuguese who is the beginning of victories af- preparing his team for their ter our loss to Al Sadd in the game on Thursday against Al first game. Against Al Sadd, Arabi at the Al Janoub Sta- we played with 10 players dium, also rued the absence from the 16th minute. Since of some top players due to then, some weaknesses ap- Al Rayyan president HE Sheikh suspension and injuries. peared in our defence. We Ali bin Saud bin Ahmed al Thani Al Duhail suffered both worked on them in between,” physically and mentally the Barcelona-born coach During the meeting, against QSC, having endured said. members of the General As- a gruelling schedule against For QSC, a last minute sembly thanked the previous Al Sadd in which they played Almoez Ali strike denied administration for their ef- three matches in 11 days. Al Duhail players during a training session ahead of their QNB Stars League match against Al Arabi. Carlos Alos’s men a famous forts and stressed the need to “We face a tough task win over their illustrous op- pay attention to the appoint- against a team that is well we were able to score goals Meanwhile Al Arabi ponents Al Duhail. ment of administrative cad- organised and has technical from the opportunities that enjoyed a convincing 3-1 “Our problem was lack res to attend all games. The staff capable of doing a great we had, there would’ve been win over Al Ahli last week- of focus, we’ve to win points members also stressed the job. They’ve players who can another scenario,” he added. end. Former Iceland coach against Al Wakrah. We know need to attach great impor- quickly reach the opponents’ Faria, who took over the Heimir Hallgrimsson, has that it’ll be a difficult game. tance to Al Rayyan basketball goal. We’ll focus on what we club in January, won the been tasked with taking the Al Wakrah are a good team teams. can do on the pitch,” said Amir Cup back in May for his Dream Team back into the regardless of their loss in the Sheikh Ali also appreci- Faria. first title as head coach after top tier in the league. first match to Al Sadd. ated former club president “The absence of some key spending 17 years as Jose “Our preparations were “Our loss to Al Duhail Sheikh Saud bin Khalid al players will affect any team Mourinho’s apprentice. normal. The team is prepar- was sad because the goals Thani for his tenure as presi- and that’s what happened The 44-year-old also had ing for the entire season, not came from a lack of focus in dent. He added that he hopes to us in our game against some words of encourage- just for one game. I’m very the last minutes. I told the in the coming year, the board Qatar SC. The emergence of ment for Iraqi striker Mo- happy with my players’ per- players we should focus on will be able to put Al Rayyan new players is definitely a hanad Ali who has come un- formance in the pre-season the game from the beginning on the right track and to positive sign, but that alone der criticism for his lack of Al Arabi coach Heimir Hallgrimsson speaks to the media during the and also during our victory till the last. I’m happy with please the Al Rayyan fans. He won’t compensate for sen- goals since his move to the pre-match press conference on Wednesday. against Al Ahli in the first the performance because added that the support of the iors’ absence. We made good club. week. players did what I asked members of the General As- efforts and put up a strong “Regarding striker Mu- cially because he’s in media training and I know he’ll “Al Duhail consist of out- them, but lack of focus cost sembly is very important for performance. I was satisfied hanad Ali, I would say that focus. He needs more time soon settle into his stride,” standing players even though us dear. That saddened me,” the board at the moment. with the performance, but if he’s under pressure, espe- to adapt. He works well in said Faria. they didn’t start well this the Spaniard lamented. Sanchez named U-23 coach Salah ‘a gentle killer’, Qatar Stars League holds Extraordinary General says former boss Vogel Assembly Meeting AFP LONDON TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK Executive Directors of DOHA QSL and members of the me- EGYPTIAN star Mohamed It was always clear to me dia were also present. Salah may be setting Euro- that he is an outstanding THE Qatar Stars League’s The meeting was con- pean and English football player, but whether he had (QSL) Extraordinary Gen- vened in accordance with alight now but when he ar- the mentality? I didn’t eral Assembly Meeting was the agenda, where the Ex- rived in Switzerland he cast a know that exactly. I would held at the St Regis Hotel on traordinary General Assem- few doubts in the mind of his Wednesday, under the chair- bly was approved in accord- The Qatar Football Association (QFA)’s executive committee has first coach Heiko Vogel. be lying if I had prophesied manship of QSL CEO Hani ance with the QSL’s Articles announced the appointment of Felix Sanchez as the head coach The 27-year-old forward – such a massive global Taleb Ballan. of Association. of the Olympic national team. The Spaniard will replace his com- an integral part of Liverpool’s career for him. Also in attendance were The minutes of the previ- patriot Albert Fernandez, and will also remain at the helm of the Champions League success Ahmed Abdulaziz al Boenain, ous meeting held on 1st April, senior national team, a position he has held since July 2017. QFA’s last season – has started the – Heiko Vogel Board member of the Qatar 2019, were approved and appointment of Sanchez comes ahead of Qatar’s participation at campaign in flying form scor- team-mate Xherdan Shaqiri Football Association (QFA) members were appointed to the upcoming AFC U-23 Championship, which is set to be hosted ing a double in last Sunday’s the other two, said things pro- was so agile, so explosive. and Executive Committee record and review the min- by Thailand in January 2020. The tournament will also serve as a win over Arsenal. gressively got better. If he had the ball on his left member of QSL, Jassim Sul- utes. qualifier for next year’s Tokyo Olympics. Sanchez has a great track Vogel, though, told the “The second day was a bit foot, it was a goal. After that tan al Rumaihi and Nasser Members of the QFA’s record with Qatar’s various national teams, starting with the AFC German SPOX website he better, but not good. performance everyone knew Mohammed al Hitmi, also Electoral Commission and U-19 Championship victory in 2014, followed by a third place finish wondered whether “And then came the third why we wanted to sign him.” Executive Committee mem- Appeals Committee were at the AFC U-23 Championship in 2018 and finally the historic tri- Salah had the mental day. It was then that he de- Vogel, who was sacked on bers of QSL, as well as heads elected according to the umph with the senior team at Asia’s most prestigious tournament strength to succeed stroyed everything, he was October 2012 only months and representatives of clubs. rules. – the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. (TNN) when he asked him really unstoppable. after clinching the domestic to come for a week “It was double, said Salah’s difficul- long trial in 2012 – absolutely ties were understandable. on the back of scoring a extraordi- “Momo was very sure double for the Egyptian nary. He of himself, but he was im- Bury expelled from League after Under-23 side against Ba- mersed in a new world,” sel in a friendly.