The long wait of football enthusiasts in general and fans of the top Qatari clubs in particular will come to an end this Friday when the QNB Stars League – one of the country’s most popular competitions – will resume after a break of four months.
The QSL was marching towards a thrilling conclusion before the COVID-19 pandemic forced its suspension in March with five rounds remaining. But the stage is now set to complete those eagerly-awaited rounds, with each of the 12 clubs eyeing to finish the season on a high note. Only four points separate standings leaders Al Duhail (42 points) and former champions Al Rayyan, with defending champions Al Sadd in third place with 32 points.
Tough battle is expected among these top three clubs to clinch the Falcon Shield, and the race for top-4 spots will also be exciting to watch, with Al Gharafa (28 points) – four points ahead of Al Arabi – favourites to take the fourth position. The battle to avoid wooden spoon and relegation will add more spice to the final rounds.
The resumption of the league was made possible by following a comprehensive plan devised by the organisers in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and Aspetar hospital. All the staff, officials and players underwent two rounds of coronavirus tests and followed all the safety procedures.
The test process will continue periodically, twice a week, and it will be mandatory for all those involved to comply with these tests as anyone failing to do so will become ineligible to participate in training and matches. There has been good news in the last couple of weeks as the clubs geared up for QSL resumption with practice games in which players showed good fitness and form.
With organisers doing their best to complete the QSL’s 2019-2020 season smoothly, all the team members are required to adhere to MOPH’s safety measures. Meanwhile, the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) is also preparing to resume the season and carried out COVID-19 tests of Team Qatar athletes earlier this month. On May 17, the QOC announced to resume the remainder of the sporting activity for the season as of July 20 so plenty of action other than football is also on the cards in the coming weeks. Qatar, known in the world for hosting top-notch sports activities by setting new benchmarks, is set to dish out action. The MOPH, organisers and all the health workers deserve the kudos for making it possible.
