Al Gharafa assistant coach Antonio Henriques spoke to the media ahead of their 2026-2027 season Doha Bank Stars League Week 7 match against Al Ahli.

“Preparations are proceeding as usual. While the interval between our last match and the game against Al Ahli is short, we have grown accustomed to this over the past few years due to our participation in the AFC Champions League Elite, where we have frequently faced tight turnarounds between matches.

“Our preparations are going on well despite the short time between games and our goal is to secure the three points.

“In the league, any team is capable of beating any other and that includes Al Ahli. They are a strong side, both individually and collectively; they prefer to maintain possession, as their statistics confirm. We are well aware of their strengths, but we also have our own capabilities and we know exactly what we need to do,” said Antonio Henriques.

Al Gharafa goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar said, “We are ready for the encounter and we know the importance of securing a win and taking all three points, which could serve as a fresh starting point for the team this season.”