Bounedjah: Competition is tough; we are ready for the start of the league

Al-Sadd striker Baghdad Bounedjah has emphasised the readiness of the team ahead of the start of the new season, during which the Wolves will look to climb the podium and win titles.

Speaking to the club website in an exclusive interview, Bounedjah said: “Thanks to God, the atmosphere in Qatar is great and as I expected, I really like the sporting facilities here. The preparation is going well and strong. The group at Al-Sadd has within it youngsters who are really determined. We will work hard so that this season will be better than the last. We have experienced players like Xavi and Khalfan, in addition to Qatar national team stars. Since my arrival in the team after participating in the Olympics, we have been preparing hard with good sessions so that we can reach full readiness before the start of the league.”

Bounedjah added: “Our goal this season is to compete for all championships especially as we went trophyless last season – we are really sorry for our fans because of that.”

As for the strength of the competition in the Qatari league, the star striker said: “The competition is tough with all the remaining teams being strong. Frankly, the level of the league is reall strong and there is a high level that one will not feel unless he plays on the pitch. This is because of the kinds of players present in the league, be it local or foreign players. We will work from the first round in order to win so that our start will be good.”

When asked about his desire to win the top scorer award, the Algerian said: “I needed some time to get to know the league and acclimatise. With the start of the new season, I will strive to win titles with my team and compete for the top scorer award, which is one of my prime objectives.”

Playing with Xavi Hernandez has been a great experience for Bounedjah, who said: “You are talking about one of the legends of the game and his history with Barcelona and Spain speak for that. I am delighted to be playing alongside him because he is a well-mannered and humble player who helps the team a lot with his advice and directions to all the players, both in training and matches. He helped mae a lot during my time with the team last season, assisting more than 5 of my goals.”

Bounedjah also spoke of the chances of appearing for the Algerian national team in the coming future, saying: “I was present during most of the camps and matches of the Algerian national team in the past year. The competition will be intense between the players to get in the team. The coach sent me a message saying that he will be watching me closely and InshaAllah I will give my best to be in the team.” He went on to state that Algeria will have a tough time with Cameroon and Nigeria in the World Cup qualifying group.

The striker appeared for the Algerian team at the recently concluded Rio Olympics and Bounedjah looked back at his participation: “The Olympics were intense and we got a lot of experience from it. We were not lucky and the Algerian fans were satisfied with our performance. If it was not for some defensive mistakes, we would have had a different picture. Once again, I would like to extend my apologies to the Algerian fans.”

Bounedjah concluded by saying: “Al-Sadd fans really love the club and we need to work hard for them so that we can make them happy by winning titles. I hope I can do well and give what is required of me