Ferreira: The derby will be tough; we will play to win

Al-Sadd head coach Jesualdo Ferreira spoke to the media on Thursday and described his side’s upcoming clash against Al-Arabi in the QNB Stars League as a “difficult derby match.”

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Ferreira said: “The match against Al-Arabi is a big derby in Doha. It will be a tough match, regardless of Al-Arabi’s (recent) results. They are a very different team from last season with many new players.”

He added: “We will play the match to win. But it won’t be easy. I’ve said before that I’m not satisfied with the performance of my team until this point. However, I am happy with the team work and the desire of the players to win.”

As for the fitness of his players, Ferreira said: “Only those who are 100% fit will play in tomorrow’s match.”

“The return of the injured players doesn’t mean that they are fully fit or that they have reserved a spot in the line-up.”

Ferreira also said: “It’s going to be an open game, especially as Al-Arabi will want to win the game, just like us.”

When asked about Al-Sadd being branded as “favourites” to win the game, Ferreira said that there won’t be any pressure arising from that “as the players have enough experience.”

“We know that we must not look at the results of Al-Arabi. We will face them as we face any other team.”

Ferreira was also asked about the prospect of facing former Al-Sadd player Khalfan Ibrahim. “I am happy with with Khalfan’s performances for Al-Arabi,” said the Al-Sadd coach. “Now he is an opponent and I wish him luck with his team; we will look to stop him.”

The Portuguese tactician refused to talk about his team’s strategy for the game, especially as he considers it private for the coach. He went on to add: “I challenge the Al-Arabi coach to predict where Khoukhi Boualem will play, just as we know where Khalfan will play!”

The press conference was attended by a number of mediapersons from Qatari newspapers and TV channels.