QSL 2013-14 Preview - Muaither

-Last May,  after a 2-1 defeat to Al Arabi, Mauither fans suffered the heartbreak of losing the promotion-relegation playoff for the second straight season, but few weeks later the good news came, with the surprise decision of the football authorities to expand the league to 14 teams, which meant that Muaither will be promoted to the top flight for the first time in their history.    

- The club was founded in 1996 in the neighborhood of Muaither, near Al Rayyan Municipality, and eight years later it carried the name of its neighborhood.

- Mauither is nicknamed "Kuhaylan" which is a famous Arabian Horse Strain.  

- Their biggest ever achievement was winning the 2003 Sheikh Jassim Cup title after a 2-1 victory over Al Wakrah in the final.

-Last season's top scorer Jean-Paul Eale Lutula (Rwanda) moved to the second division side Al Markhiya.

- Their coach last season was Mohamed Sahel (Morocco).

-The task of keeping the club in top flight was handed to Spain-born French coach Ladislas Lozano. The 61-year-old is making his return to Qatar for the first time since 2008, his best achievement in this region was leading Al Rayyan to the Emir Cup title in 2006. He also coached Al Sailiyah and Al Khor without achieving much success.

- Lozano made the headlines in 2001 when he led the Amateur side Calais to the final of the French Cup before losing to Nantes 2-1.

Players to Watch

Jhasmany Campos, the 25-year-old Bolivia international is a highly creative midfielder, with great play making skills and powerful long range efforts. He is a product of Tahuichi Academy, the same academy that produced Bolivian legends Marco Etcheverry and Erwin Sanchez.

Fozil Musaev, a promising 24-year-old midfielder who joined Uzbekistan giants Bunyodkor this year from Nasaf Qarshi. He played 12 full internationals, and also represented his nation on various youth levels, and he was also part of Nasaf side that won the 2011 AFC Cup title. a kind of experience that will be vital for Mautiher in their QSL debut season.

Ezzat Jadoua, a 30-year-old midfielder with plenty of experience, was part of the national team that played in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup in China, and his previous clubs include Al Sadd, Al Arabi and Al Ahli.

Verdict

Survival should be the main target for Muaither this season, but with an experienced coach like Lozano and a number of promising signings, expect them to pull out some surprise results against more experienced opponents.


They started their preparations for the new season on June 30th in Doha, then traveled to France on August 12th for a three-week training camp.