On Monday, the Iraqi Police football team will face their host, the Qatari Al-Gharafa team, at Khalifa International Stadium in the Qatari capital, as part of the second round of the AFC Champions League for elite clubs.

The Iraqi Police team previously drew 1-1 with the Qatari Al-Sadd team in their first match held at Al-Zawraa International Stadium in Baghdad.

Egyptian coach Moamen Suleiman, head coach of the Iraqi Police football team, expressed high confidence in his team’s ability to deliver a good performance against the Qatari Al-Gharafa team in the second round of the AFC Champions League, noting that despite significant absences, he has distinguished players and will enter the match aiming to win.

Suleiman said at the press conference: “We came to Qatar to impose our control, show the Police team’s character, and test ourselves against strong teams. Al-Gharafa is a big and respected team.”

He added, “We always rely on collective play and collective thinking, and I have not asked the players for more than what we expect from them.”

He considered the previous match against Al-Sadd, which ended 1-1, a happy day for him due to the players’ performance, especially since it was their first match this year. They played three matches against Al-Sadd in the AFC Champions League, and Duhok and Noruz in the Iraqi league, delivering distinguished levels.

Meanwhile, Munaf Younis, defender of the Iraqi Police team, said in the same press conference: “The Police team is fully prepared, and we will implement all duties assigned by the technical staff on the field. We have competed in several strong competitions, locally and internationally, and succeeded thanks to teamwork, and we look forward to achieving a positive result.”

He added, “The Police team’s fans are the constant support every season, and we hope to make them happy. My current focus is with the Police team, and after the Asian championship ends, my focus will be with the Iraqi national football team to achieve positive results in the Asian playoff matches to qualify for the 2026 World Cup finals.”

He concluded: “We came to Qatar not just to participate but to compete, as we are the Iraqi league champions for the past four seasons, and we will be a strong contender against every team we face.”