Al Duhail, Al Sadd brace up for ‘tough’ Qatar Cup final

It’s the familiar arch-rivals Al Duhail and Al Sadd who will battle it out for the Qatar Cup title tomorrow, yet there is a sense of intrigue whenever these two giants meet.
Tomorrow at 10pm the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Duhail will be eyeing for their second silverware of the season after they won the Ooredoo Cup last month, while Sadd would be hopeful of beating their rivals to the first trophy of the season.
Duhail have had a good season so far. The Red Knights lead QNB Stars League by two points and they are also in the quarter-finals of the Amir Cup. Duhail won the Qatar Cup in 2015 and 2018, while they lost in the final to Sadd last year. Sadd and Duhail have faced off two times so far this season.
Their first-leg match in the QNB Stars League ended in a 2-2 draw, whereas Al Duhail won by a 3-1 margin in the Ooredoo Cup semi-final.
Duhail’s prolific Kenyan striker Michael Olunga said the team is high on confidence but conceded the final against Sadd is a tough one. “The Qatar Cup final will not be easy. We have had a strong morale boost after winning the Ooredoo Cup which also indicates the team’s level,” he said yesterday.
“We had lost to Al Sadd in the final in the previous edition of Qatar Cup. This year we hope to be able to compensate and achieve the title. I am very happy as a striker who scores goals and this is my mission and all this with the help of my colleagues. The Qatar Cup title is one match away and therefore we must focus on our resolve to win,” he added.
Meanwhile, Duhail coach Hernan Crespo said his ultimate goal is to make a clean sweep of domestic titles. “We worked hard to win the semifinal and I hope that our efforts in the final will see us lift the Cup. When I took charge of Duhail, my goal was to compete for all championships, and winning the Ooredoo Cup has been of particular importance after defeating big teams such as Al Rayyan, Al Arabi and Al Sadd,” the Argentine said yesterday.
“I would be very happy to win the Qatar Cup too in which most of the teams have participated with the top players. I know how important the Qatar Cup is, we want to win it and we are working hard on that. Sadd have won many titles in recent seasons and we are seeking to compete and win against a great side. Thursday’s match is important and we strive to win the title,” Crespo added.
Sadd are looking to continue their good record in the Qatar Cup, which they won in 2017, 2020 and 2021, since the tournament was relaunched under its new name in 2014.
Sadd coach Juan Manuel Lillo Juanma said the team is not under pressure despite having a below-par season so far. Sadd are third in the league – seven points behind Duhail – but they too have made it to the Amir Cup quarters.
“A very important final match awaits us. Our preparation has been good through our matches in the QNB Stars League,” the Spaniard said. “We are not under pressure as we have a good and distinguished team. The players are looking forward to the final against Al Duhail and our goal is to win the title. Al Sadd fans need the trophy. We lost precious points in the league that would have put us ahead. We made mistakes but we will try to correct them, especially in the Qatar Cup final,” he added.
Sadd will be without Tarek Salman, who was sent off during the Wolves’ match against Al Arabi but have enough bench strength to field a strong XI.
Sadd defensive midfielder Guilherme Torres believes it will be a match of equals tomorrow. “League matches are different from tournaments. This match will be very difficult for both teams and we must focus on the rivals’ mistakes besides our own strength to ensure that we win the cup,” he said.
“We’ve to focus on beating Al Duhail and winning the Qatar Cup. We are determined to win the title and we are working collectively. I will do my best with the team and our great ambition in this confrontation will be to win the trophy. I have learnt in my career that winning is the most important thing. Implementing the coach’s plans will help us and we will play to our strength to achieve victory. The atmosphere of the team is good and we are training hard. Everyone seeks to win the title,” Torres added.