Alkass Digital
Qatar’s elite clubs are back in action for the highly competitive second round of the Qatar Stars League (QSL) Cup, with thrilling Group B clashes lined up for today.
Group B leaders Al Wakrah will take on Al Gharafa at Al Khor Stadium (8:30 pm) hoping to continue their impressive run from last week’s Round 1, while Al Khor meets Umm Salal at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium (6:30 pm) in another encounter this evening.
Al Wakrah will be brimming with confidence as they enter the match after a dominant performance in Round 1 in which they posted a huge 5-1 victory over Al Khor.
Omar Salah, who scored a hat-trick in that match last Saturday, will again be the player to watch, alongside Mohamed Khaled Hassan and Nasser Al Yazidi who scored against Al Khor.
However, Al Gharafa, who will make their first appearance in this year’s tournament, will look to challenge their opponents’ strong attack with the help of their offensive prowess despite Al Wakrah’s intention to maintain their momentum and secure full points again.
While the teams look to advance through to the next stages, both Al Wakrah coach Miguel Angel and Al Gharafa’s Pedro Martins will also look to make the most of the QSL Cup by testing the limits of their teams as they prepare for the bigger challenges ahead. For Al Gharafa, this includes competing in the AFC Champions League Elite tournament, while for Al Wakrah awaits participation in AFC Champions League Two, recently launched by the continental football’s governing body.
In the day’s opening match, Abdullah Mubarak-coached Al Khor will be looking to bounce back from their heavy defeat in the tournament opener. The defending champions Umm Salal - coached by Patrice Carteron, are also coming off a narrow 2-1 loss to Al Shamal and will be keen to avoid another setback.