Emir Cup kicks off today with the focus on Al Rayyan

File picture of Al Rayyan midfielder Rodrigo Tabata (left) congratulating a teammate after they defeated Kuwait’s Kazima to enter the semi-finals of GCC Club Championships.  Right: Al Rayyan coach Manuel Jimenez.

By Sports Reporter/DohaThe 2015 Emir Cup kicks off today and taking the spotlight will be on one of the powerhouses of Qatari football — Al Rayyan. They take on Al Markhiya at the Al Arabi stadium. Rayyan was founded 48 years ago and was a big name across sports disciplines but they suffered a shock relegation last season from the Qatar Stars League. But the good news for the fans is that they have regained promotion this season and are eager to prove that last season was but an anomaly.And they are looking to use the Emir Cup competition as a means to showcase that they are back where they belong. “Our team’s promotion to the first division will act as a huge motivation for our players to ensure that we go a long way in the Emir Cup,” said Al Rayyan coach Manuel Jiménez during the pre-match press conference yesterday.Rayyan are also doing well in the GCC Club Championships, where they claimed a thrilling last-gasp 2-1 win over Kuwait’s Kazima to reach the semi-finals. And coach Jiménez believes that that successful campaign will also spur his players to do better in the Emir Cup. “We did really well to qualify for the semi-finals of the GCC Club Championships with a great victory. That will also work as motivation for the players to do well in that competition as well as the Emir Cup,” Jiménez said yesterday. Rayyan will be relatively relaxed about their opponents today, Markhiya, because they had defeated them 9-0 during a league encounter. But coach Jiménez said that that result had no bearing on today’s match. “This is a different competition. This is a knockout competition where all teams will believe they have a chance. So our earlier result against them in inconsequential,” he said.“Our players are ready and well-prepared for this match. Psychologically and physically, they have been training hard to do well in this competition,” added Jiménez.The Emir Cup should see many exciting matches being played out as they lower-ranked teams try to punch above their weight and cause an upset. Last season, in-form Al Sailiya put on a strong display to go all the way to the final where they lost to eventual champions Al Sadd. This season too, the fans will hoping for some fairytale story, for some magic that these cup competitions offer.