Another exciting QNB Stars League (QSL) season is just around the corner and the 12 competing teams are gearing up for 22 rounds of enthralling contest.
The new season will kick off on August 1, a week from now, making an early start as compared to previous editions of the country’s top tier football league.
With just over 120 days left for Arab world’s first FIFA World Cup which kicks off on November 21, the QSL will help keep Qatar national players in optimum form ahead of their maiden appearance in the biggest stage in global football.
The reigning champions Al Sadd will begin their title defence against promoted Al Markhiya to kick off the season on August 1.
Al Sadd, who will be chasing an unprecedented 17th Falcon Shield this season, have returned to Doha following a 16-day-long stay in Austria where they underwent intense training under the watchful eyes of the new head coach Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lillo, who replaced Javi Gracia.
Apart from Al Sadd, last season’s runners-up Al Duhail have also returned after holding a successful pre-season training camp in Austria as the Hernan Crespo-coached Red Knights look to secure title-glory for the eighth time, same as Al Arabi. Al Duhail will play their opening match against Al Wakrah on August 3.
Al Arabi held their training camp in the Spanish city of Jerez de la Frontera and returned to Doha following a renewal of their coach Younis Ali’s contract. The Dream Team will meet Qatar SC in their first match of the season on August 2.
Meanwhile, eight-time champions Al Rayyan, who are undergoing training in The Netherlands, will take on Al Shamal, who also returned from Europe on Wednesday following their pre-season camp.
Umm Salal, Al Wakrah, Al Gharafa and Qatar SC have also started the final preparations ahead of the season’s kick-off in Doha after returning from Europe.
The teams’ training in Europe missed out on several national players due to Al Annabi’s preparation camps, but the Qatar national players are expected to join their respective clubs later.
The 2022-2023 season of the QSL will see a top-notch start as five World Cup stadiums are set to host the fixtures across the first five rounds throughout August. The venues include Khalifa International, Al Janoub, Al Thumama, Education City and Ahmad Bin Ali stadiums which are equipped with cooling technology to cope with hot weather conditions expected during the month.
