With
Al Duhail in contention for three more titles this season, coach Djamel
Belmadi said his team are ready for the decisive matches in the coming
days.
Al Duhail play Al Gharafa in the Qatar Cup semifinal tomorrow.
“We
still have the same determination to win titles. Our team displayed
strong performances despite the busy match schedule. We are ready for
the cup fixtures. We have a lot of important work to do because we have
decisive matches next month in addition to the Emir Cup. We reiterate
that we enter all tournaments with the aim of winning the title. All
matches are important for us and my team proved its potential,” Belmadi
said.
“Al Duhail is the most important stop in my coaching career
because the team includes a large group of young players and they are
the best currently. I wish to see players such as Bassam al-Rawi,
Abdulla Abdelsalam and Nasser al-Yazidi play in the 2022 FIFA World Cup
in Qatar,” added Belmadi.
“I am satisfied with my players’
performance. I think our match against Al Gharafa will be very tough and
strong especially since Al Gharafa had many good performances in the
second phase of QNS Stars League. Also, Al Gharafa won their last
group-stage match in the AFC Champions League.
“I have huge
confidence in my players. I wished for (Youssef) Msakny to be with us. I
deal with players not according to their age or name, but with their
efforts on the pitch,” added Belmadi.
Commenting on the Video
Assistant Referee to be used in the Qatar Cup, the Algerian said, “I
really support it because it is crucial for the development of the game
as small details can decide the outcome of a game.”
Al Duhail player
Karim Boudiaf said, “The cup matches are different than league games
because no one can predict the result. We have a team capable of pulling
off a win despite the difficulty of Qatar Cup because we have with us
such strong teams like Al Sadd, Al Rayyan and Al Gharafa. There is a big
difference with Al Gharafa of late as they are a transformed side after
the recruitment of Wesley Sneijder, Assim Madibo and Mehdi Taremi.”
Looking forward to the match: Gharafa coach
Al Gharafa coach Bulent Uygun was looking forward to the match against QNB Stars League winners.
“I
would like to congratulate Al Duhail on winning the league title. We
finished the league in the fourth position and presented good
performances in the AFC Champions League. Had it not been for some
refereeing mistakes, we would have qualified for the next round,” he
said.
“The Qatar Cup is a very important competition and all clubs
are looking forward to winning the title. I hope luck will be on our
side. We are facing Al Duhail, who had not lost this season in the QNB
Stars League.
“I took over the technical responsibility of Al Gharafa
in the second phase at a time when we had a tough time by the end of
the first half. However, the available players presented their best and
our ambition was to reach the top four. The Qatar Cup is crucial for all
clubs. We are seeking the title and are counting on our fans to support
us.
“We have a number of injured players, some with minor injuries
while others have serious injuries such as Almahdi Ali and Thamer Jamal.
They may not play this match. We are all focused on the Al Duhail game
and are confident of winning. We are not afraid of Al Duhail, but we
respect them.”
Al Gharafa player Sneijder said, “We are aware that
this match is tough, however we are here now in the semifinal because we
emerged as the fourth in the league table which was not an easy task.
Al Duhail are one of the best teams in Qatar. I have played against them
only once, in the league. They have players of high calibre. At the
same time, our squad has improved a lot of late.”
Al Duhail coach Djamel Belmadi.