Umm Salal coach Patrice Carteron spoke to the media ahead of their 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League Week 12 match against Al Sadd.

“The match will be strong. Because this is the second match against Al Sadd this season and we had lost to them 1-3 in the first leg. It will be difficult for both teams because each has a firm desire to win. We will give off our best.

“We are ready, we know the strength of the opponent, and we are determined to put up a show worthy of Umm Salal despite the difficulty of the game. There is no doubt that getting points in any match is important and this is what we seek.

“It was good for us to obtain 15 points in the first leg of the league this season. The team finished last season with 18 points, so reaching this number of points should give us motivation and confidence to keep improving and show that we are improving from time to time. Our performance has improved since the beginning of the season and we play great in most matches, not only against the big teams.

“I thank His Excellency Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, club president, and Mr. Ali Amin for the opportunity to play in the Abu Dhabi championship during the league’s break and to play with Al-Ettifaq Al-Saudi and Zamalek of Egypt, and this will greatly help our campaign in the second leg of the league. We will be stronger and better,” said Carteron.

Umm Salal player Omar Yahya said, “The Al Sadd match is very important for us and we hope that we will go into the match with great determination and perform very well.

“The match will not be easy and all matches are difficult, and we hope to achieve a positive result. We are able to provide the best and play a great match worthy of Umm Salal, who are putting up strong performances this season.

“The draw with Al Markhiya in Week 11 is not a negligence on the part of players, but rather a lack of focus at some moments. I expected to win, but this is the state of football, and we have to go into the Al Sadd match with strength, as playing against big teams is a wonderful and good thing.”