By Anil John/DohaWhile other teams were sweating it out in preparation for the Emir’s Cup semi-finals, El Jaish preferred to relax and take things easy. Too much pre-match excitement and tension, they thought, would be detrimental to their dreams of winning the title.“Our preparation was more about relaxing and eating the right foods,” coach Pericles Chamusca told a press conference yesterday. “I told the players not to be tense, just keep up the good work and eat well,” the Brazilian added.Whether that ploy will work against Al Sadd today remains to be seen, but the fact remains that El Jaish, who finished second in their very first season in the Qatar Stars League, have arrived for good and it won’t be long before they win their first piece of silverware.It can even come on May 12 when the Emir’s Cup final is played, and if that happens, it would prove a defining moment in the young club’s history.However, it’s not as simple as it sounds, though. Their rivals Al Sadd have won the event a record 13 times. On top of that they also won the Asian Champions League last year and the man who guides their fortunes, Jorge Fossati, is widely considered the best coach in Qatar.The Uruguayan has been watching El Jaish’s games and has developed a healthy respect for them.“I saw them play against in the quarter-finals of the Emir’s Cup and I must say they are a very good team,” said Fossati. “They did a very good job, but we are also confident about our chances.”Al Sadd defeated Al Wakrah in the quarterfinals of the event, but El Jaish are a different proposition. One of the most energetic teams in Qatar, they have an array of good players who can give any team a run for their money.
This was evident in their Heir Apparent’s Cup semifinal against Al Rayyan when El Jaish led two times before being 3-2 by the eventual champions.Chamusca, however, said yesterday he won’t be changing his team’s style of play. “We will go all out against Al Sadd in the semi-finals. Our focus will be on attacking rather than defending and we will play an open game.”El Jaish have the armoury to do that in strikers Wagner Ribeiro and Abdulkhader Ilyas Bakoor, with Algerian star and captain Karim Ziani marshalling the midfield. “I would love to win the Emir’s Cup for El Jaish,” said Ziani, who is reportedly eyeing a move outside Qatar. “Al Sadd are a great team and their record in Qatar speaks for itself.”Meanwhile, league minnows Al Kharatitat were relishing the opportunity of taking on former giants Al Gharafa in the second semi-final, with French coach Laurent Banide expressing confidence his boys can deliver the goods.“We find ourselves in the semi-finals of the Emir’s Cup which is great. We are ready for the game,” he said.“Gharafa are a good team, but we are no pushovers as our win over Al Rayyan in the quarter-finals proved,” said Banide.Banide is not new to the Emir’s Cup, having engineered Umm Salal’s tremendous run in 2008 when they claimed the championship.Can he do it again, this time with Al Kharatiat?“Why not? Football is a funny game. We have to keep playing well. That’s the key.”
Semifinal fixtures:5.30pm: Al Kharatiat vs Al Gharafa8pm: El Jaish vs Al SaddBoth matches at Al Sadd Stadium