- We’ve to work hard and stay focused to achieve victory in Qatar Clasico to make our fans happy

- Our goal is to win more matches to make up for the unimpressive start this season

- We consider every match as a final and hope to finish well with good performance

- It’s a great honour to be a part of Al Rayyan team and wear this special shirt

The 2022-2023 season QNB Stars League’s Week 9 will witness the high-profile Qatar Clasico between Al Rayyan and Al Sadd, which always evokes great interest on and off the field. And Al Rayyan are strongly preparing for the contest.

Al Rayyan, under the tutelage of Chilean Nicolas Cordova, recorded their first league victory this season last week when they beat Al Sailiya 2-0. The big question now is 'will The Lions be able to build on it and earn a respectable finish in the QNB Stars League'?

Ivorian star Yohan Boli, who has been one of the lead attackers of Al Rayyan for a few seasons now, gave his takes on the QNB Stars League in general and Qatar Clasico in particular, in an Exclusive Interview with Qatar Stars League website.

Al Rayyan are in good form now, having resumed the QNB Stars League with a convincing win over Al Sailiya. How do you see it?

Yes, I believe in my team. We resumed the league competition after a long break, which saw Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup. It’s good that we started again in good fashion and now we’re all focused on the next matches.

 

Do you think the team can maintain the momentum the rest of the season?

Yes, we can. We’re capable of sustaining the momentum. Having registered our first league victory this season, we feel we can build on it and score more wins and points, which we need the most at this stage, starting from the Qatar Clasico.

How do you look forward to the Qatar Clasico against Al Sadd?

Like I said, we’re focused on this game. We’ll prepare for all games like a final, so Al Sadd or whoever the opponents, we try to win all games.

How do you approach the game, in terms of preparations?

Like in all weeks, we work hard to be ready for the next battle. We hope to translate our training and preparations into good performance on the pitch and thus make up for the lost points in the early rounds.

What’re your expectations of this season’s first Qatar Clasico?

Like in every season, this game is special. Obviously for so many reasons. It’s a Clasico, so yes we’ve to win for ourselves and also for our passionate fans.

What makes this game more special than the other QNB Stars League games?

Because it’s Qatar Clasico, it’s simple like that. Fans are eagerly waiting for this game especially. It’s a great motivation for the competing clubs, players and everyone involved.

What targets have you set for yourself and with Al Rayyan this season?

We couldn’t start the season well, so we take it game by game. We hope to make progress as the season progresses and we’ve to see at the end of the season where we stand.

How do you feel representing a club like Al Rayyan, which has great tradition and achievements?

It’s always an honour to be a part of this team and wear this special shirt in every game. It’s true that we haven’t had a good start to the season. But in the New Year, we really want to forget the first part of the season and give a smile to the entire Al Rayyan family with solid performances.