Qatar Stars League Fixtures 2011-2012: Champions Face Daunting Start

Defending Qatar Stars League champion Lekhwiya will face a tricky start to its 2011-2012 QSL season with an opening day match at the against Al Wakra Sports Club. Not only that, another away clash against Abdulla Mubarak’s Al Ahli will follow up after that. Djamel Belmadi’s (Lekhwiya coach) men then returns home to face QSL debutant Al Jaish before another big test in the form of Al Gharaffa, and Al Khor, which will only be their fifth match of the season. Indeed, it will be a daunting start to its season.
The first match for Lekhwiya will be on September 16 at the Al Wakra SC.

Even Al Gharafa will be having some sort of a tough start to its campaign with an opening day fixture at home against Qatar Sports Club, followed by difficult clashes against Al Khor and Al Arabi. Although they will return home with two corresponding matches against defending, champion Lekhwiya and less fancied Al Kharaitiyath on the list. However, the demanding round of opening fixtures will not help the fact that Gharafa will also have to monitor its way past the qualifying stages of the Champions League. Their performances will set the benchmark for the rest of the season.
Gharafa’s first match will be home at the Gharafa Stadium against Qatar SC on September 16. The following week they face a serious test as they travel to Al Khor.

As far as Al Rayyan is concerned, it will open its season with a tough away trip to Gerard Gil’s Umm Salal. Following that, they return home to host Al Kharaitiyath before traveling to Al Khor. After the international break, Rayyan will have to work themselves out of a tricky tie against Al Ahli before they get ready to host Al Wakra.
Their first serious test will however be the following week as they travel to Doha to face Al Arabil. They face three tough home fixtures in November when they host Gharaffa, Al Jaish and then Al Sadd.

Al Arabi appear to have the easiest of opening round of fixtures and perhaps only their opening game represents a difficult challenge by their standards before the international break. They face Al Khor away from home first before taking on the likes of Wakra and mighty Gharaffa at its home ground. After the international bridge, Arabi will have to visit Umm Salal, before visiting Sadd Stadium to take on Al Sadd Sports Club.

Round 1 Fixtures
16/09/2011
Al-Gharrafa - Qatar SC
Al-Ahli - Al-Arabi
Al-Wakra - Lekhwiya
Umm-Salal - Al-Rayyan

18/09/2011
Al-Sadd - Al-Kharitiyath
Al-Jaish - Al-Khor

Lekhwiya leads QSL

BAKARI Kone and Abdeslam Ouaddou scored in each half as Lekhwiya maintained its leadership at the top of the Qatar Stars League table after a comfortable 2-0 away win against Sailiya at the Al Rayyan Stadium on Thursday.
Lekhwiya thus maintained 100 per cent away record this season.
Sailiya’s home defeat increased to four in the twelfth round of QSL fixtures.
Moroccan defender Abdeslam Ouaddou put Lekhwiya ahead in the 41st minute, and they maintained the advantage till the end of the first half.
The game was evenly poised until the 87th minute when Ivory Coast international Bakari Kone wrapped up the points for Lekhwiya with his eighth goal of the season.
With this result Lekhwiya strengthened its grip on top spot with 29 points, four points ahead of the second-placed Gharaffa.
In the reverse fixture on the opening of the season, Lekhwiya had earlier inflicted a 4-0 defeat on Sailiya with all goals coming from Mohammed Razak’s efforts.
Meanwhile Al Sadd, Qatar Stars Cup champion, forced Rayyan to a 1- 1 draw after Fabio Cesar’s goal in the 37th minute of the first half was cancelled in the 82nd minute by Sadd’s South Korean Jung Soo-Lee.
The fierce rivalry between the two sides has placed it as a star fixture of the twelfth round.
Sadd remains fifth on the table with 19 points same as Rayyan with the same goal difference.
QSL defending champion Al Gharaffa will not be in action until Saturday when they take on Al Ahli, a team they beat by 7-1 on the opening day of the 2010-2011 QSL season.
In another Saturday fixture fourth- placed Qatar Sports Club will battle Kharaitiyat.
Third- placed Al Arabi will move to second if they beat Umm Salal on Friday at the Qatar Sports Club.
A battle of survival between the tenth and eleventh-placed teams will ensue when Khor faces Wakra at the Al-Khor Stadium.
Both sides are languishing at the bottom halves of the table and a win for either side will lift it above the other.

Gharaffa faces uphill task against KSA's al Hilal

AL GHARAFFA Sports Club despite going down 0-3 to Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in first leg quarterfinal of the AFC Champions League in Riyadh last week, is in an upbeat mood as it takes on the Saudi club in the return leg on home turf on Wednesday.

Gharaffa coach Caio Junior, well aware of the fact that his players have a mountain to climb, put up a brave front on eve of the match.

He said, “In football the approach is either theoretic or practical.

Hilal will come all out to play and maintain its lead.

We will, however, be at an advantage because my players are in good shape and will enjoy the support of home crowd.” Ciao emphasised the value of fans’ support and said that his players greatly value them.

He urged them to pack the stadium on Wednesday and make the atmosphere ‘an intimidating one’ for the opponent.

Gharaffa, however, will miss the services of star Brazilian midfielder Juninho in the match.

Coach Caio Junior exhorted his players to prove that theirs is not a one-man team.

Caio said he has got capable player to replace him in the squad and the replacement had proven himself in the Qatar Stars League encounter against Lekhwiya.

“Juninho will not be playing for us and it gives me a chance to evaluate the team’s performance without him,” said Junior, adding, “This won’t do us any harm as I believe rest of my players can compensate for his absence.

We played without him against Lekhwiya and won comfortably.” The Qatar Stars League champion club comes to the match high on confidence after beating a strong Lekhwiya side in its opening QSL match, with Iraqi striker Younes Mahmoud and Clemerson de Araujo producing some magic.

Younis Mahmud, though not underestimating his opponent, is optimistic of Gharafffa advancing to semifinal of the prestigious tournament.

“Hilal players are used to playing such matches.

They have a lot of experience.

But we are Qatar champion and will make it crystal clear that we are capable of progressing beyond this stage.” Hilal, who has been consistently impressive under Belgian great Eric Gerets, is positive of a good outing in Doha.

They are expected to welcome back Christian Wilhelmsson to the starting line-up after the Swedish winger missed the first leg through suspension.

Gerets, said, “Naturally in any competition, matches become tougher in the later stages.

Ghaffara is a strong team and many good players play in the team.

“We will take things seriously and search for goals.

We will try not to concede goals as we are eager to maintain our 3 goals advantage.” Defender Osama Hawsawi knows it is vital for Al Hilal not to slip against Al Gharaffa in the second leg.

He said his teammates were determined to put up a stellar performance against them.

“We are prepared and confident of progressing,” he said.

“I know Gharafa will come all out to attack.

They will be fearless in their approach as they have nothing to lose.

We will, however, search for goals as attack is the best form of defence.” The match will be officiated by officials from Singapore.

The referee is Abdul Malik, who will be assisted by Jeffrey Goh Gek Pheng and Mohammed Mousa Abu.

The final of Asia’s top club competition will be staged at Tokyo’s National Stadium on November 13.

Winner of the tournament will qualify for the lucrative FIFA Club World Cup in December 2010.