A depleted Al Sadd lost the first-phase league game by a 2-4 margin, but they came up with a much-improved show in the second phase and almost won the match after leading 3-2, but for the two last-minute goals scored by Al Duhail. That defeat effectively dashed The Wolves’ hopes of winning the coveted shield for a 14th time.
Both Ferreira and Belmadi are master tacticians who are result-oriented. They are arguably the best coaches around. Veteran Ferreira is more experienced, having been in the profession since 1981 and coached teams in Spain, Greece and Egypt besides his native Portugal.
His most successful period came when he guided Porto to three consecutive Portuguese league titles between 2006 and 2009. The 71-year-old took over Al Sadd in November, 2015, and has brought them much success. He is like a father figure and philosopher to the players, and has succeeded in making many youngsters come through the ranks. Many players have acknowledged this fact. There had been a remarkable improvement in their game technically under the Portuguese. “We’ve qualified for the AFC Champions League’s Round of 16 and we’re satisfied with our performance even though the knockout stage will be difficult. We go into all matches, especially in the cup competitions, as if we are playing a final.
“In the Champions League, we have two games and we will work to win them. I pay tribute to the players who have made great progress knowing that the upcoming games will be difficult and require more focus,” said Ferreira.
Belmadi is much younger than Ferreira, but the former has achieved a lot in Qatar football — at both club and country levels.The Algerian is a shrewd tactician, who has consistently been producing excellent results. Belmadi guided Al Duhail to the 2017-18 season QNB Stars League title with an unbeaten record, the only team to do so. They finished with 60 points from 19 victories and three draws. He was at the helm when erstwhile Lekhwiya, who were relaunched as Al Duhail after the merger with El Jaish, won league titles in 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2016-17 seasons as well.
The 42-year-old Belmadi made it big at the regional level when he guided Qatar to the Gulf Cup triumph in 2014, beating Saudi Arabia in the final. Belmadi had made his mark as a midfielder. He represented top teams such as Paris Saint-Germain, Olympique Marseille, Manchester City and Southampton besides donning the Algeria colours 20 times, scoring five goals.
Belmadi hunger for title is shared his players as they for treble of titles this season. “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’s 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,” he 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 World Cup in Qatar,” added Belmadi.