Mesaimeer coach Rodion Gacanin said he was confident that his team won’t buckle under pressure in their clash against Al Ahli today.

By Sports Reporter/Doha


Al Ahli coach Zlatko Kranjcar admitted his side needed to up the ante for improved results ahead of their today’s game against Mesaimeer.
“This game is very important for us. We need to show the quality of our team, get this win and take the three points on offer,” Kranjcar said yesterday.
“We have to take the points that we deserve. If you look at our opponents in the table, they are not doing well. But my image of the team is different. They are a team that is well-organised and they have lost many games because they lack the quality in players. But if they play with a lot of motivation then that could cause a lot of trouble for my team,” the 59-year-old Croatian said.
Kranjcar said his side was ‘unlucky’ in the last game. “After the last game we have suffered a few injuries. John Benson got a red card. We have tried to find alternatives and hopefully those players will step up and do well,” Kranjcar said.
The experienced coach said his side won’t change the way they approach QSL games despite their 1-0 loss against eighth-placed Al Arabi last week. “I don’t think there’s a need to change anything, except for the injured players. If you look at our past few games we are approaching the style and level that we had last season,” Kranjcar said.
When asked about striker Ndombe Mubele and his partnership with Iranian midfielder Mojtaba Jabbari, Kranjcar said: “How long did it take for (Alain) Dioko and Jabbari to form their productive partnership? It took time before the two got used to each other. In a similar way we have to wait for Mubele and Jabbari to connect.
“Mubele is different to Dioko. He’s extremely fast. Also you have to know that Jabari had a small injury which meant that he had to reduce the intensity of his training. But we are hoping that everything falls in place and they will forge a successful partnership soon.”
Mesaimeer coach Rodion Gacanin said he was confident that his team won’t buckle under pressure in their clash against Al Ahli today.
Bottom-placed Mesaimeer only have one win from 10 matches but coach Gacanin feels his team will test Al Ahli’s ambitions at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium today.
“I must say that after these ten matches we are a team that doesn’t give up,” Gacanin said yesterday during a pre-match press conference.
“We are focussing on our training. We have some problems with injury. But the discipline that the players have shown in the last few matches gives me a lot of confidence. We play as a group and I have trust in my players,” Gacanin said ignoring the fact that his side has just three points from 10 matches.
“I no longer feel the need to speak about the quality of my players,” the 52-year-old Croatian said.
Gacanin said no team should take Mesaimeer lightly. “Al Ahli are a team that have had the best possession percentage in the league so far. They are a good team and have their strengths but also their weaknesses. I don’t think that anybody can go into a match against Mesaimeer and say that we can definitely beat them,” Gacanin said.
Battling relegation, Gacanin sound philosophical when reminded of missing the cut at the end of the QSL season. “It will not be a tragedy if a team goes from the first division to the second. The tragedy will be if the team gives up,” Gacanin said yesterday.