Sailiya coach Trabelsi lauds new recruits

COACH Sami Trabelsi lauded the efforts of Al Sailiya’s new signings after they helped the club beat a stuttering Umm Salal 1-0 last week and return to the winning path.

Uzbek forward Temurkhuja Abdukholiqov, who joined from native club Lokomotiv Tashkent, scored the all-important goal in the 30th minute to give Sailiya their fifth win.

Trabelsi had guided Sailiya to a fourth-place in 2013-14, but they struggled for form in this season’s first phase. The Tunisian made three changes recently, also bringing in midfielders Sanjar Shaakhmedov, who too is from Uzbekistan, and Valentin Lazar from Romania. 

They came in place of striker Paul Alo’o, Raoul Loe and Faouzi Ayesh, who missed most of the action due to injury.

Former Qatar international striker Jarallah Al Marri too has joined the club.

Trabelsi, who had won the Qatar Football Association’s Best Coach Award in the 2013-14 season, said the new players could help the Peregrines in their fight against relegation.

“The new players performed well against Umm Salal, I wish them the best in the coming weeks as they try to settle down in the league,” Trabelsi told www.qsl.com.qa. “I also want to thank the players who’ve left the club and the hard work they put in.”

Meanwhile, El Jaish’s talented Uzbek forward Sardor Rashidov said the increasing presence of his compatriots in the QSL is proof that his country’s league was fast improving.

“I’m happy to see more and more players from my country joining the QSL clubs. The interest in our country’s players is a proof of the progress we’re achieving back home,” said Rashidov, whose countryman Sanzhar Tursunov joined Al Kharaitiyat earlier this month.