Sadd brace for challenging quarters against Shorta

Al Sadd face Iraq’s Al Shorta in the quarter-finals of the King Salman Club Cup on Friday. The kick-off is at 6pm at the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium in Abha, Saudi Arabia.
The Qatari giants qualified for the last eight by topping the Group B with seven points. The Wolves drew goalless with Morocco’s Wydad in their opener and beat Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia 3-2 and Al Ahli Tripoli of Libya 1-0. Hilal too progressed from the group with four points, while Wydad and Ahli both ended up with two points.
On the other hand, Al Shorta made it to the quarter-finals as the second team in Group A with four points. Saudi side Al Ittihad topped the group with nine points and an all-win record. Shorta defeated Tunisia’s Sfaxien 1-0 in their opener, but played out a goalless draw with Esperance, also of Tunisia, and then lost 1-2 to Ittihad of Saudi Arabia.
Sadd have been improving from one game to another in terms of performance and results, and will certainly strive for the best against Shorta as they seek to finish the tournament on a triumphant note.
Shorta are fierce competitors and have many standout players, who were part of the Iraq team that won the last edition of Gulf Cup held in Iraq last January.
On the eve of the match, Sadd defender Tarek Salman said they must focus and capitalise on opportunities to reach the semi-finals. “The match against Al Shorta will be tough as there are no easy teams in the quarter-finals. All the matches will be highly competitive,” he said.
“Al Shorta has exceptional players, most of whom are part of the Iraqi national team. We are eager to reach the furthest point in this championship. Our encounters against Iraqi clubs and national teams are always tough; they play with great spirit and determination,” Salman added.
He also pointed out that the Sadd players have enough experience to achieve victory, saying: “We have sufficient experience to secure a win. We must focus and capitalize on opportunities to earn qualification for the semi-finals.”
Meanwhile, Sadd coach Bruno Miguel too expected a tough match against Al Shorta. The Portuguese coach said: “We are looking forward to another strong match that will help us prepare for the new season. We anticipate a tough game against a strong team that has only lost one match in the group stage.”
He added: “Al Shorta is an organised team, both defensively and offensively, and they boast strong players, particularly in midfield. We will devise the appropriate strategy to face them and secure a victory.”
Regarding the readiness of Al Sadd’s players for the match, Miguel said: “The team consists of 20 players and all are in great condition. We are in good shape and have multiple options to support us during the game, in order to secure our spot in the semi-finals of the championship.”