En route to their unbeaten QNB Stars League triumph, only twice did Al Sadd had to settle for a draw. And both times it was against Al Duhail. Beyond a shadow of doubt, Sadd have been head and shoulders above the rest of the teams in Qatar in the last two seasons.
But against Duhail, Sadd have always been wary. There has been a fierce rivalry between the two sides in the last decade, but Sadd have pulled ahead in the last couple of seasons, barely giving Duhail a whiff of any of the titles.
As they target a third successive Amir Cup title, Sadd will have to overcome Duhail first in the semi-finals today. In the last eight years, either of Sadd or Duhail have claimed the prestigious title and odds are today’s winner will most likely lift the title on March 18.
The first semi-final today pits Al Gharafa against Al Wakrah at 5pm at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, before the blockbuster clash between Sadd and Duhail takes place at 7:45pm at the same venue.
Sadd coach Javi Gracia, who took over from Xavi Hernandez in January after his fellow Spaniard left to take charge of Barcelona, is aware of the importance of the match against Al Duhail. “We know that facing Al Duhail in the Amir Cup will be special, and this is in a very special tournament, which is the most important one for the fans and of course for us as coaching staff and players. Reaching the final is everyone’s dream,” Gracia said on Sunday.
Sadd’s influential midfielder Santi Cazorla has won two Amir Cup medals and the former Arsenal star is keen to add one more to his tally. “Despite the short period of preparation we are fully prepared and our goal is to qualify for the final,” the Spaniard said.
“We played several matches in a short time and we know we have to fight for our chances. This is a completely different tournament. I am happy that I won the Amir Cup twice, and I know the importance of the tournament for the fans, and winning it again will be a special occasion for me,” he added.
Meanwhile, Duhail’s coach Luis Castro said his team’s match against Sadd today as ‘strong and exciting.’
“We are ready for this match and are confident of achieving victory. We also have great respect for Al Sadd, the league champions, but our current goal is to win and reach the final of the Amir Cup,” he said.
“We drew with Sadd twice in the league this season, so we are not far away from Sadd. The margin for error is little in cup competitions. We have to play the match with full focus,” he added.
In the other semi-final, Al Wakrah will be keen to carry on the momentum from their third-place finish in the QNB Stars League as they take on Gharafa today.
Al Wakrah’s coach Marquez Lopez said his players are excited for the match.
“For us, what we achieved in qualifying for the semi-finals is a good thing and we are now living in an exciting and enjoyable atmosphere as we look forward to achieving a positive result against Al Gharafa and qualifying for the final,” he said.
“Wakrah has never won the Amir Cup, and this is our chance to win it. We are facing Gharafa, which is a strongly competitive team. But we have to think about being in the final, which is also an important achievement,” he said.
Andrea Stramaccioni, Gharafa’s coach, believes his team has moved in the right direction this season.
“There is no doubt that this match is of great importance for the players and for the fans. We know that we have performed at our best level this season and deserved third place in the league. I believe in my players and I am confident that the team will provide everything that is possible. Since I took over as the coach, we are moving in the right direction and we have made remarkable progress,” Stramaccioni said.