Battle for survival
YOUSEF Adam, who helped Al Ahli finish sixth last season as a caretaker coach after replacing Croatian Luka Bonacic in November 2015, has failed to work his charm this time around.
Ahli are eighth with just 17 points from 16 games and are engaged in a fierce battle with Al Khor (16), Al Kharaitiyat (15), Al Sailiya (15), Al Shahaniya (14), Al Wakrah (11) and Muaither (11) to stay in the top flight.
The absence of a physically-strong striker like Alain Dioko may have severely dented their hopes of a strong showing.
In an exclusive interview with Doha Stadium Plus, Yousef talked about their struggle this season, former striker Dioko and their chances of improvement.
Is Ahli missing Dioko?
Ahli had great seasons in 2014-15 and 2015-16 where they challenged top sides Al Sadd, Lekhwiya and Al Rayyan. I think a large part of the success was due to the striking duo of Dioko and Meshaal (Abdullah). Nobody is indispensable, not even Dioko. Ahli stayed at the same position last season, but it’s always good to have a big striker in the side.
Why have Ahli failed this season?
We made a lot of silly errors in crucial games. There’s also the luck factor, but we need to convert our chances. That’s what we couldn’t do in the previous rounds and we need a good striker. The club has signed Argentinian midfielder Cristian Maidana on a six-month deal and Iranian forward Ali Ferydoon on loan from Al Shamal. They performed well against Al Wakrah and the win should boost our confidence.
Do you think Ahli can improve their position?
I trust my players. We still have 10 games left in the league. If we can manage a couple of more wins, we can target a sixth-place finish. I’m hopeful we’ll return to winning ways.
How can we make the Qatar Stars League (QSL) more interesting?
We must make the QSL a 12-team competition and cancel the Qatargas League (second division). If we reduce the number of clubs from the top tier, it can become a strong league, with all the teams having equal strength. The contests can become competitive and this will draw fans to the stadium.
