Al Sadd coach Juan Manuel Lillo ‘Juanma’ has asked The Wolves to guard against being over-confident against Al Shahania in their first semi-final of HH The Amir Cup’s 51st edition to be played at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium today.Al Sadd start as favourites having historically dominated the tournament with eighteen titles to their name. The Spanish coach, however, wants his team to stay focused on making the final of the prestigious tournament and not make the mistake of underestimating Al Shahania’s abilities. "We need to respect our opponents to produce our best on the field," Juanma said.The second division side Al Shahania had stunned Al Gharafa 4-3 on penalties in the quarter-final after both the teams were locked 3-3 in regulation time."Al-Shahania’s victory in the first game was a surprise but the win in the quarter-finals was not surprising. They have been performing well in the second division championship, and they have a good and clear tactical system."Meanwhile, Al Shahania coach Alvaro Mejia said that his team was under no pressure and will be playing fearlessly against Al Sadd. "We are proud of what we have achieved by reaching the semi-finals of a tournament of great importance in Qatari football. We realise that we will be facing a distinguished team with a great history and full of the stars but we will play the match without fear and without any weakness," he said. He added: "We know our capabilities and what we must do by weaving in the same manner as in our previous matches, whether against Al Wakrah or against Al Gharafa, our tactical strategy will remain the same by tightening the closure of our back areas and trying to manoeuvre through attacking play."Commenting over a second division club playing in the semis of Amir Cup, Spanish coach, said: "Our priority is always to return to top level league by winning the second-division title. We are currently two points behind leaders Al Khor and Al Muaither with two rounds to go. We believe in our chances in making history by reaching the final of the Amir Cup. What we achieved so far is a great motivation for us and we hope to continue to surprise."On his part, Al Shahania player Abdulrahman Mohsen said: "We hope to repeat what we did in our previous two matches and reach the final of a competition whose title is a dream for every player."Al Arabi coach aspires for his team to make the finalAhead of the second semi-final, Al Arabi coach Younis Ali affirmed that his team’s task against Al Sailiya tomorrow at the same venue will not be easy. Addressing the media, he however asserted that they aspire to advance to the final of the prestigious tournament.He noted that they have to be ready - mentally, physically and technically - to play a strong match if they are to make the final. Al Arabi have been in good form and recently regained their lead in the QNB Stars League overtaking Al Duhail.In contrast, Al Sailiya coach Mirghani al-Zain said they were preparing optimally for the important clash. He added that their morale is high having gained confidence from their win over last year’s champions Al Duhail.He however stressed that the encounter against Al Arabi will definitely not be easy by any measure.The coach concluded by highlighting the capabilities of his players while insisting that wishes alone are not enough and that they will have to make exceptional efforts to achieve their goals.
April 23, 2023 | 11:43 PM