Ferreira: The Al-Kharaitiyat game is difficult, our goal is to begin well

Al-Sadd head coach Jesualdo Ferreira remarked that his side’s upcoming QNB Stars League opener against Al-Kharaitiyat will be a tough game, while also expressing his confidence in his players’ abilities.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Ferreira said: “This is the first time that the season is starting in August and everyone is surely going to suffer because of the high temperatures. As everyone knows, the first four rounds will be played in air-conditioned stadiums but after that, the matches will be held in stadiums that do not have cooling facilities. I hope the QFA increases the number of matches in the air conditioned stadiums to eight.”

He added: “Al-Sadd’s philosophy will not change. We will continue working hard on what we have built over the years.”

“The game against Al-Kharaitiyat will be tough for both teams. We will try our best to get the win.”

Ferreira also spoke about the new signings who joined the team during the transfer window. “Two notable players joined us – Jung Woo-young and Gabi. Gabi may be the more famous of the two. I am very happy with these signings. Al-Sadd is going to be stronger but we should not judge them (the players) after tomorrow’s match. They need to get used to the heat and the life in Qatar, and also get to know the team.”

The coach pointed out that he did not want to talk about the players who are missing out on the game, only stating that Saad Al-Dosari still needs time to fully recover from injury.

Finally, Ferreira made it clear that he does not fear any surprises from any opponent in the league. “We will depend on our team and work to perform at our best in all the games.”