Al Gharafa will be up against Al Shamal in Week 11 of the 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League at the Thani Bin Jassim Stadium of Al Gharafa club on Saturday, December 9, 2023. The kick-off is at 5.30pm.

Despite their contrasting positions in the table, the upcoming match holds significant importance for both teams. Al Gharafa, currently leading the standings with 23 points from seven wins, two draws and a defeat, will face Al Shamal, who sit in ninth place with nine points from two wins, three draws and five defeats.

Despite the disparity in their rankings and performances, the match is expected to be filled with excitement and intense rivalry between the two teams.

In the previous round, Al Gharafa faced a setback with a 1-1 draw against Al Wakrah. They fell behind to a goal by Jacinto Dala, but Yacine Brahimi, the league’s top scorer this season, managed to equalize for The Cheetahs, keeping them at the top of standings, albeit with just a one-point lead over Al Sadd, who have played two fewer matches.

Pedro Martins, the Portuguese coach of Al Gharafa, understands the significance of avoiding any missteps that could cost his team the lead. Therefore, he will deploy his attacking prowess to secure goals against Al Shamal and secure all three points.

Martins relies on the exceptional technical abilities of Brahimi, his compatriot Farid Boulaya, Ahmed Alaaeldin and other players to achieve their goal of victory. However, the team will face a setback in the defensive line due to the absence of new Korean player Jang Hyun-Soo, who sustained an injury in his second match for Al Gharafa.

On the other hand, Al Shamal coach Poya Asbaghi hopes that his team can halt the progress of The Cheetahs and achieve a positive result to make up for their recent 0-4 defeat against Al Sadd.

Al Shamal will be without Jassim Al Hashemi, who was sent off in the second half of their match against Al Sadd. Asbaghi will carefully select his players to confront Al Gharafa’s offensive power.