DOHA, Jan 28 (Reuters) – Brazilian Danilo said his first match in charge of Umm Salal would be a major test as his side prepare to face Al Arabi in the 14th round of the Doha Bank Stars League.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the match, Danilo acknowledged the challenge posed by Al Arabi but said his team would go into the encounter with a clear objective.
“This match is very important for me as it is my first with the team,” Danilo said. “It will be a very difficult game against a strong side like Al Arabi, but we will enter the match with the goal of winning.”
The Umm Salal coach said belief and positivity would be key for his players.
“We believe in our capabilities and we have to be positive on the pitch and play every match to win,” he added. “We trust ourselves and our players, and we must show that confidence with an organised and strong performance.”
Danilo said the coaching staff had worked intensively in the build-up, spending a full week preparing the team, analysing their opponents and correcting mistakes from previous matches.
“We studied the opponent well and worked on fixing the errors from earlier games. We believe we can perform better,” he said.
On the team’s approach, Danilo stressed the importance of attention to detail, noting that changes were required after previous strategies failed to deliver the desired results.
“We have high-quality players, but we need more organisation on the field to guide them in the right way,” he said. “Avoiding mistakes is crucial, because small details can make the difference in matches like this.”
