Ferreira: We still have a chance to win the league

Al-Sadd head coach Jesualdo Ferreira believes that his team still have a chance to win the league title, saying that the players have to work hard to achieve it.

Speaking ahead of the QNB Stars League Round 13 game against Al-Arabi, Ferreira said: “We still have a chance to win the league despite the tough situations we have been through, like the unfortunate defeat to Persepolis and also what happened against Al-Ahli in the league. Despite all this, we still have two games against (leaders) Al-Duhail remaining, in which we must fight to win. We have to work as hard as we can to win, despite the tight schedule.”

“This game (against Al-Arabi) is a derby and we want to win it. We hope luck will be on our side,” he added.

Asked about his views on Al-Sadd’s draw in the AFC Champions League, Ferreira said: “Our group is tough and I prefer this, so that all our players are motivated and ready with the highest levels of concentration. We hope we succeed in our campaign.”

Ferreira also spoke about the Qatar national team’s recent games against Switzerland and Iceland, expressing his pride in the fact that seven Al-Sadd players were part of the team.

“The national team performed excellently despite the difficulty of playing in those temperatures in Europe. I am very happy that seven players from Al-Sadd were in the lineup and this is a matter of pride for us.”

“I also want to extend my congratulations to Abdelkarim Hassan for being selected as one of the nominees for Asia’s Player of the Year award. I wish him good luck and hope he continues to develop.”