The draw for the group stage of the AFC Champions League 2023-2024 took place on Thursday at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.

Al-Sadd have been drawn in Group B, alongside Uzbekistan’s Nasaf, UAE’s Sharjah, and Jordan’s Al-Faisaly.

This 21st edition of the tournament, under its new format, marks the shift from the spring season to autumn for the first time. It will now be held from autumn to spring, with the tournament dates spanning from September 2023 to May 2024. ... 

Al-Sadd’s Brazilian player Paulo Otavio emphasized the importance of the victory that Al-Sadd achieved in the first match of the league against Umm Salal with a score of 3-1.

Otavio stated after the match, “Winning the first match gives us a strong boost to continue our journey with great strength. We secured three important points at the beginning of the Expo Stars League.” ... 

Bruno Miguel, the coach of Al-Sadd’s team, expressed his happiness with the important 3-1 victory that Al-Sadd achieved against Umm Salal in the first week of the Expo Stars League.

In his statements to Al-Sadd’s website after the match, Bruno said, “We fully deserved the win. We had an excellent first half, played well, and the result shows it. We created many opportunities and could have scored more goals.” ... 

**Al-Sadd Clinches First Victory in Expo Stars League Season 2023-2024**

Al-Sadd secured their first win in the 2023-2024 Expo Stars League season, triumphing over Umm Salal by a 3-1 scoreline in the opening week. The match took place on Friday at Al-Bayt Stadium.

The goals for Al-Sadd were scored by Akram Afif in the 5th minute, Guilherme Torres in the 26th minute, and Yousuf Abdurisag in the 48th minute. Umm Salal managed to net a consolation goal through Andy Delort in the 86th minute. ... 

Al-Sadd head coach Bruno Miguel has confirmed the readiness of his team, ahead of the opening game of the 2023-24 Expo Stars League season.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Bruno said: “I am happy to be here at Al-Sadd for the beginning of the new season. I am happy with the structure at the club and the players of the team. We start this week against Umm Salal. We are expecting a tough match, especially as everything is new at the start of the season. Our objective is to win the match.” ... 

Al-Sadd CEO Turki Al-Ali hosted a dinner on Wednesday evening for the first-team players, coaches, and staff.

During the dinner, Al-Ali shared motivating words with the players, encouraging them as they approach the new season. He emphasized the importance of aiming for victories in every match and starting off strong in the league against Umm Salal on Friday. ... 

Al-Sadd’s first team continued training in preparation for the upcoming match against Umm Salal next Friday at Al-Bayt Stadium, in Round 1 of the 2023-24 Expo Stars League.

Bruno Miguel, the Portuguese head coach of the team, led the training session, emphasizing the significance of enhancing physical aspects and elevating readiness levels to commence the league with full force. ... 

Al-Sadd’s first team achieved a 3-1 victory against Muaither in a friendly match held today, Friday, at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, as part of preparations for the upcoming 2023-2024 season.

Al-Sadd’s goals were scored by Gonzalo Plata, Pedro Miguel, and the young player Mohammed Hani. The first half ended in a 1-1 draw. ... 

Al-Sadd SC officially announces the successful surgical operation undergone by Brazilian striker Giovani Henrique at Aspetar Hospital yesterday, Saturday.

Giovanni sustained an injury to his cruciate ligament and cartilage during the friendly match between Al-Sadd and the Moroccan team, Raja, in Doha. ...