Umm Salal will face Al Arabi on Saturday in the 2023-2024 season Ooredoo Cup final at the Grand Hamad Stadium.
The contest is expected to be feisty with both the teams seeking their maiden tournament trophy in their third finals, having ended up as the runners-up twice each, the QSL website reported.
While Umm Salal had made it to the finals of Ooredoo Cup earlier in 2010-2011 season and last year 2022-2023 season, Al Arabi were in the final of 2012-2013 and 2019-2020 seasons.
So the teams will now be eager to be third time lucky. The final on Saturday therefore shall provide for a lot of excitement and competition.
Umm Salal made the grade with a 2-0 win over Al Ahli in the semifinal and will aim to continue their good run by eventually winning the tournament title. The Orange Fortress had lost by a solitary goal to Al Duhail the previous season and having reached the final for a second successive time, they would surely want to taste success.
In contrast, Al Arabi qualified for the final prevailing over Qatar SC in the semis on penalties (4-3) after the game was locked 2-2 at the end of regulation time. The Dream Team too are eager to succeed in the final and lift the trophy.
Umm Salal's French coach Patrice Carteron will seek to find the perfect combination of his team against the challenging Al Arabi. Umm Salal have excelled under coach's guidance having earlier topped their group before getting the better of Al Shamal in the last eight and Al Ahli in the semifinal.
Their excellence on the field has been led by Algerian striker Andy Delort, who has scored seven goals in the tournament so far, as well as Marouane Loudani, Victor Lakhel, Nasser Al Nasr and Adel Alawi among others.
Al Arabi coach Younes Ali is also a master tactician and will surely motivate his wards to come up with a strong performance in a match which matters the most and achieve the team's dream of their first title of the season.
The coach has many prominent players capable of delivering the results and of these at the forefront are Syrian striker Omar Al Somah, Brazilian Rafinha, Helal Mohamed, Nasser Kalla and Youssef Muftah among others.
The Ooredoo Cup final is surely expected to provide for a lot of fireworks given the form and fitness of both Umm Salal and Al Arabi.
