Al Shahania coach Alvaro Mejia spoke to the media ahead of their 2024-2025 season Ooredoo Stars League Week 1 match against Al Arabi.

“Despite the late arrival of some players, the team is now complete and ready for the match, and we respect Al Arabi a lot as they are a strong team with distinguished players.

“Playing in the Ooredoo Stars League is a big challenge for us. The team qualified for advanced stages in the Amir Cup, which gave us the opportunity to play with top teams when we were in the Second Division. There is a big difference between the Second Division and First Division in terms of capabilities, players or matches. We will fight against Al Arabi and give our one hundred per cent.

“My goal is to have stability for the team. I urge everyone to follow Al Shahania and see the fighting spirit with which the team will play during the league matches,” said Alvaro Mejia.

Al Shahania player Marc Muniesa said, “We are ready for the Al Arabi match. The team has developed a lot after the preparatory camp held in Turkey.

“Al Arabi are a strong team and one of the best teams in the league. In the decisive match against Al Markhiya, no one expected Al Shahaniya to win, and we will play the Al Arabi match with the same spirit, and we will focus on each match.

“I played for Al Arabi for four seasons, which gave me the opportunity to play in the Qatar league, and the Al Arabi match is special for me. It is a popular club and the pressure will be on them, so we will try to exploit this pressure.”