Al Sadd and Al Arabi will face off in the semi-final of the Qatar Cup in what promises to be a mouth-watering contest today. In the other last-four clash, league leaders Al Duhail take on Al Wakrah.
Sadd qualified for the tournament by virtue of winning the QNB Stars League last season, while Arabi made the cut after finishing in fourth place. Sadd are seeking to defend the title they won in 2020 and 2021, while Arabi are in the tournament for the first time after its launch as Qatar Cup in 2014.
Adding to the battle is the top form of both teams. Sadd coach Juan Manuel Lillo Juanma is wary of Arabi. Speaking at the pre-match media conference he said: “Al Arabi have excelled in the league and achieved positive results. We beat them in the league and we were at the top of our efforts, but the next match is a different one. Arabi will give their best and we must be careful and perform better to overcome the challenge.”
The Spaniard added: “We haven’t changed anything about our training. We are going into another tournament and it will certainly be different from the league. We are facing a reputed and well-combined team, and we are aware of that. We are preparing for the match strongly and we have a final training session ahead of us. Our focus now is on our strengths and all players are fully prepared.”
Sadd have the advantage of coming into the semis on the back of four consecutive wins in the league after the long break, having regained the services of their international players.
Arabi too are firing on all cylinders with the return of their national players back in the side. They have been among the top two leading teams in the league and will also look to prove their mettle in the Qatar Cup. The Dream Team’s enthusiasm will be unrivalled within the team, which got back to winning ways in the league with a big 3-0 win over Al Rayyan.
Al Arabi coach Younes Ali, said, “The presence of the four teams in one tournament makes it very challenging and especially when all teams are in good form. It indicates that all matches will be difficult and I hope we will be able to present our best level and produce a good performance.
“Al Arabi have goals since last season and we are on the right path to reach these goals. The Qatar Cup matches have a special style. Al Sadd and Al Duhail have distinguished themselves from the rest of the teams in recent years and regardless of their stature, we are primarily concerned with our results and the strategy we would follow. It is our first goal. It will be an equal match and the team which is more focused and determined will have greater chances of winning and reaching the final. We need to focus and work hard to achieve that.
“Only Abdulaziz al-Ansari is absent and the rest of the players are ready for the match. Our recent victory over Al Rayyan in the QNB Stars League gave us great confidence, but the match against Al Sadd in the Qatar Cup will be different.
Meanwhile, Duhail will go in as favourites against Wakrah. But Wakrah, who had scored a 4-2 win over Duhail in the league’s first leg before the rivals hit back in the return leg scoring a 1-0 win, will fancy their own chances.
Wakrah are competing in the Qatar Cup for the first time since the tournament assumed its new name in 2014. The Blue Wave will therefore be keen to grab the opportunity and also put behind the disappointment of their recent losses in the league.
Al Duhail coach Hernan Crespo said: “We are happy and proud to participate in the tournament. Our goal is to reach the final and win the title and I am happy with what the team is doing in the QNB Stars League. Facing Al Wakrah will be difficult and it is certainly different from the league. We defeated them two weeks ago in the league championship and we will work to repeat that to reach the final.”
He added: The absence of Ruben Semedo and Edmilson Junior affected us a lot recently, but we have many distinguished players and we have all the capabilities to go far in the entire tournament this season. Duhail players have a great deal of responsibility and this facilitates my work. We are a strong team and this gives us confidence to play all matches strongly.”
Wakrah coach Marquez Lopez said his team hold a good record against Duhail and that they would do their best to get across them in Qatar Cup for a place in the final. Marquez said: “In the last four matches against Duhail, we won three and lost only one. This is very excellent for us and we shall focus on the way Duhail play and studies it well so that we can provide our best.”