ALL SET: Lekhwiya captain Madjid Bougherra  (L) and coach Eric Gerets (second from left),  along with Al Sadd coach Hussein Amotta (third left) and Al Sadd defender Mohamed Kasola pose with the Heir Apparent Cup trophy after their pre-final press conference.

By Yash Mudgal/Doha

Lekhwiya are aiming to shatter Al Sadd’s dream of completing a domestic double when they clash in the Heir Apparent Cup final today. The match will be played at Al Sadd Stadium at 6.45pm.

Lekhwiya, who defeated El Jaish in the semi-final of the Heir Apparent Cup and Al Ettifaq in the AFC Champions League in a gruelling five-day period have several obstacles to conquer against newly QSL champions Sadd who will be playing on home turf and are comparatively fresher, being not part of the continental competition.

Another important factor is the confidence which Sadd have in abundance after they dethroned Lekhwiya as the league champions.

Pushed all the way in their quest to win the league, Lekhwiya will ensure Al Sadd don’t get things their own way, as coach Eric Gerets said at the pre-final press conference.

“We want this Cup but our opponents also want this cup. They are probably slight favourites because they are the league championship. But in football you never know what will happen. That’s why we have a real chance of lifting the trophy and I’m sure it will be a great game,” said the Belgian, who is keen to win some silverware.

“The stadium will be full for sure and that will be a fantastic thing,” he said.

Gerets has doubts over defender Issar Dia and midfielder Nam Tae-Hee’s fitness, but captain Madjid Bougherra hopes his team still has enough quality to overcome their rivals.

“This final will be very special. For Lekhwiya it is the first time we are in the final. We were very happy to win against El Jaish and we’re looking forward to it,” said Bougherra.

“We have had a lot of games in the last few weeks and we haven’t had time to recover but that’s okay.

“Last year I saw the stadium and the supporters and when you play in such an atmosphere it is easy to get motivated. It’s not a problem. Now we just want the match to start and look forward to it.”

Bougherra also noted the star quality in the Al Sadd line-up.

“There are several quality players in the final. You just have to look at someone like Khalfan Ibrahim to realise what a good player he is. Everyone knows about Raul and what a great player he is. Then you have Younis Mahmoud who has a lot of experience,” the Algerian said.

Al Sadd coach Hussein Amotta said despite the occasion he would prefer to treat the final as an “ordinary” match so that his players are not carried away.

“I expect the game will be exciting. The game will be rich with opportunities. I prefer to treat this game like an ordinary match. It will be open because there are many good players in both teams. The game will be very interesting. Whoever concentrates best will win the game.”

However, Amotta said Lekhwiya will only benefit from being also involved in the Asian Champions League.

 “Lekhwiya players are in great shape as they are participating in the Champions League. Maybe they suffer from fatigue but I think they will be fine. At the moment we don’t have injuries and even if we miss a couple of players we will have enough players as replacement.”

Al Sadd defender Mohamed Kasola also sounded confident on the eve of the match. “Everyone knows we are going to see a very tough game. The supporters will enjoy it. We know Lekhwiya want the cup and so do we. We will fight for this to happen. For 90 minutes we will both give our best and hope that we get the right result,” he said.

 

Fancy cars, motorbikes, phones to be won by fans

Organisers have asked fans to come down and experience the carnival of events that have been planned in the run-up to the Heir Apparent Cup final between Lekhwiya and Al Sadd today. The match will be played at Al Sadd Stadium at 6.45pm.

A host of activities have been planned for fans and their families, including a spectacular Harley Davidson and Classic Car exhibition, special stalls celebrating traditional heritage, food stands and a big screen TV. And although the Fan Zone opened two days ago, the entertainment will continue all weekend.

Hassan al-Kuwari, Head of Events and Hospitality at QSL, said: “We want to show these events are befitting of such a precious tournament.

“The QSL wishes to provide every manner of comfort and entertainment for fans throughout this final.

“We have provided areas for prayer and restrooms for men and women, in addition to designated areas for people with special needs.

“We will also witness a special Harley Davidson exhibition and a classic car exhibition of some of the oldest cars in Qatar during the next few days.

“We hope everything goes very well and I wish both Lekhwiya and Al Sadd good luck for the game. It will be an honour for them to shake hands with the Heir Apparent.”

Some of the highlights include a freestyle football exhibition from the talented Abbas Farid. In addition there will be musical performances, acrobatics, theatre performances, while QSL has set up a special corner for restaurants and cafes.

Al-Kuwari added: “There will be cultural activities and celebrations of our traditional heritage, while there has been a big screen installed for fans who do not have a ticket for the game.

“We have prepared many competitions for the public to win prizes, such as the Golden Goal competition.” There will be a special display by the Civil Defence and the Ministry of Interior which aims to raise awareness of road safety through special demonstrations.

Once the match kicks off on Saturday there will be performances from Bahraini singing prodigy Hala al-Turk, spectacular fire-shows, laser shows, acrobatics and military band displays. Various other surprises are planned but these will be revealed in due course as anticipation for the final reaches a climax.

There will also be an incredible prize draw where fans can win QR 2,000,000 worth of prizes, including a Lexus, four Toyota 4x4’s and a Toyota Corolla. There will also be motorbikes, TVs and smartphones to be won to mention just a few of the prizes.