Al Duhail are eyeing a win over Saudi Arabia's Neom today.
Doha, Qatar: Al Duhail will look to extend their perfect start in the Gulf Club Champions League (GCCL) when they face Saudi Arabia’s Neom in a Group A match at Al-Watani Club Stadium in Tabuk today.
Djamel Belmadi’s side have won their opening two matches to lead the group with six points and will be aiming to strengthen their position as they continue their pursuit of the regional title.
Al Duhail opened their campaign with a convincing 3-0 victory over Oman’s Al Shabab SC. They followed that with a 2-1 away victory over Yemen’s Shaab Hadramout, with Bassam Al-Rawi converting a stoppage-time penalty to secure all three points after the hosts had been pegged back.
Belmadi, however, acknowledged that his side had limited time to prepare for today’s match following their demanding Qatar Stars League match against Al Wakrah, with recovery sessions taking priority.
“We did not have enough time to prepare for the match, and we focused on recovery and healing exercises,” the Algerian coach said at the pre-match press conference.
Belmadi said he would assess his players before deciding on the starting line-up, while stressing his team’s desire to produce a good performance against the Saudi side.
“We hope to be fully prepared to deliver a good performance against the Saudi team,” he added.
The Al Duhail coach also reiterated that winning the QSL title remains a major priority for the club this season, in line with the management’s objectives.
Midfielder Mubarak Shanan, meanwhile, said Al Duhail were determined to challenge for the Gulf title.
“Our goal is to win the Gulf Championship title and we will perform at the required level. We look forward to continuing on the path of victories,” he said.
