By Sports Reporter/Doha


The disappointment of crashing out the Champions League hasn’t yet faded for Al Rayyan.
A victory over Al Sadd in the Heir Apparent Cup however, might just go some way to making Diego Aguirre’s side forget all about the frustration of failing to qualify for the knock-out stages.
One player who is desperate for tomorrow’s semi-final showdown to come is Nilmar. The Brazilian star can’t wait for the chance to compete in the tournament Rayyan won last year.
As the holders, the pressure is on to deliver something special – something Nilmar believes they are capable of. He said: “Suddenly this tournament has become a lot more important because of what happened in the Champions League.
“We made a lot of mistakes and they were punished a consequence. The manner in which we played wasn’t good enough and we have to expect better.
“But we have the chance to put things right immediately. This is the great thing about football. I know this is a special competition so hopefully we can put the disappointment of this week behind us and focus on better things.”
Fully recovered from injury, Nilmar hopes to build on some excellent performances this season to ease Rayyan through the final on May 4.
As one of the most prestigious sporting events on the Qatar sports calendar, the Brazilian knows there aren’t many platforms better to impress Rayyan’s passionate fans. He added: “I am happy to play this game. I am fully recovered from my injury. It’s good to be back in the game to help my team the best I can.
“It’s always nice to be playing against Al Sadd, the best team in the league but the main aim is to try and win this cup.
“The good thing about football is it always gives you the opportunity to bounce back from defeat. We only lost three days ago and now we have the chance to make up for it.
“It should be a great atmosphere at the game and hopefully everyone is motivated to go and get the win. I think the fans will really come out in force for this match because they will want to see the team win this trophy again.”