Defending champions Al Sadd and Al Duhail are set to fight in the highly-anticipated Qatar Cup final that will take place at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium tonight.
The two heavyweights of country’s football are expected to produce exciting action at Al Sadd’s venue that is expected to host a capacity crowd with the clash kicking off at 10pm.
While Al Sadd are known to have the best combination of local and foreign recruits, Al Duhail have been in phenomenal form this season dominating almost every competition so far.
Fresh from winning the Ooredoo Cup after beating Umm Salal in the final, Hernan Crespo’s Red Knights are eyeing their second consecutive title as they aim to complete a quadruple this season.
They are leading the QNB Stars League (QSL) standings while Al Duhail are also in fray for the Amir Cup triumph after qualifying for the quarter-finals.
But in Al Sadd, the Red Knights face a huge task with their leading players Baghdad Bounedjah, Akram Afif, Santi Cazorla and Hassan Al Haydous all available for the title clash.
“Al Sadd are a great side as they have won many domestic titles in recent years. But we are ready to compete against this tough side,” Al Duhail coach Crespo said ahead of the final.
“It’s a proud moment for us to be in the final. We worked hard to reach the final and we will give our best possible performance to win the trophy,” said Crespo referring to the semi-final where Al Duhail fought back against Al Wakrah for a 2-1 win.
The Argentine said the Ooredoo Cup title win last month has given his team huge confidence boost for remaining matches in the season.
“We overcame challenges from top teams like Al Sadd, Al Rayyan and Al Arabi in the Ooredoo Cup which made the title important for us and we are now looking forward to a similar performance to lift the Qatar Cup.”
To a query, Crespo reiterated his team’s goal to claim all four titles this season, “The Quartet Dream is a goal for us,” he said.
Al Sadd – the winners of the last two Qatar Cup and QSL editions – are not at best by their own standards this season but the Wolves are a force to be reckoned with.
Following return of players from national duties post the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the Juan Manuel Lillo-coached side surged to third position in the QSL standings with a flurry of consecutive victories.
However, they are yet to secure a title this season.
“It’s a very important final for us which we must win and claim the trophy,” said Lillo.
Al Sadd face the challenge of an in-form Al Duhail attack that includes Michael Olunga, Almoez Ali, Nam Tae-hee and Ferjani Sassi, who have scored crucial goals in recent matches.
But Lillo is confident Al Sadd have enough capability to overcome challenge from Al Duhail.
“Although, we dropped points in the leagues due to mistakes but we have a good side and all players are looking forward to clinch the trophy and make Al Sadd fans happy,” he added
The Wolves will miss defender Tarek Salman after he was sent off during recent game against Al Arabi.
“We will have a suitable replacement from the rest of the players in training. We will assess their technical and physical condition,” said Al Sadd coach.
According to organisers, the gates of the stadiums will open at 8pm and fans are advised to reach the venue at the earliest to avoid inconvenience.
