Al Arabi's players in action during a training session ahead of the first Amir Cup semi-final against Al Sadd.
There may be no fans at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium tonight but there will be no dearth of excitement when reigning champions Al Sadd will take on Al Arabi in the first semi-final of the Amir Cup.
The match pitting the last edition’s finalists will kick off at 10pm tonight behind closed doors amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Al Sadd edged Al Arabi 2-1 in the 2020 Amir Cup final last December at the brand new Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium – a FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 venue.
The record 17-time Amir Cup champions Al S a d d a r e returning to action after suffering a setback at the AFC Champions League where they m i s s e d k n o c k o u t stage after a close fight with other rivals.
Their head coach Xavi Hernandez, who rebuffed reports of his departure from the club after the ongoing season, said yesterday that his team’s c o m p l e t e focus is now on winning the Amir Cup, considered as the most prestigious f o o t b a l l trophy in Qatar.
“We know the importance of this match against Al Arabi as we want to qualify for the final and win the Amir Cup,” Xavi said yesterday. “The team is very excited for the semi-final and the players are looking forward to give their best. The players have trained for the match with a lot of passion,” he added.
Speaking about his team’s performance at the AFC Champions League, Xavi said yesterday: “We got out of the Champions League because of one goal (difference). We did not present the best but we were not very bad.
This is football. We must now focus on the Amir Cup.” Al Sadd have been in outstanding form this domestic season winning the QNB Stars League (QSL) and Qatar Cup, and Xavi said the team is aiming to conclude the season with a title-triumph.
“Our aim now is to win the Amir Cup and conclude the season with a major trophy no matter what happened at the AFC Champions League. But we have a strong Al Arabi team against us in the semi-final and we must put up a strong performance against them,” he added.
The Barcelona legend said there is no truth about his departure from the club saying: “I am very close to signing a new contract with Al Sadd and the news of my exit from the team is just rumours. I am very happy to work with the players and the club.”
Meanwhile, Al Arabi coach Heimir Hallgrímsson admitted his team faces a tough challenge against Al Sadd but reposed confidence in his p l a y e r s ahead of t h e semi-final.
“We have a difficult match with Al Sadd and we have to win the game. We qualified for the final of the tournament last season and we hope to repeat that achievement again,” said Hallgrímsson. He stressed a smart plan needs to be implemented in a semi-final against tough Al Sadd.
“For such matches, morale is very important and we must play smartly and we know their way of playing. Al Sadd have elite players in all positions – from goalkeeper to strikers.
Therefore, we must deal them in a smart way. We rely on a good tactic,” Al Arabi coach added. The second semi-final of the Amir Cup will be played between Al Rayyan and Al Duhail tomorrow at the same venue while the final will be played on May 14.
