Sports
My aim is to win titles with Sadd, says forward El Kaabi
Moroccan will have a chance to win his first silverware with the Wolves, who host Duhail in the Qatar Cup final
April 06, 2023 | 12:00 AM
Striker Ayoub El Kaabi is targeting his first trophy with Al Sadd as they take on Al Duhail in the Qatar Cup final at 10pm today at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.El Kaabi, who was part of the Morocco squad which finished fourth at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, moved to Qatar last month after a transfer from Turkish club Hatayspor. Now, the 29-year-old is within a touching distance of winning his first silverware with the Wolves.El Kaabi has made an instant impact at the club, having scored a brace against Al Wakrah in the QNB Stars League last week. "Al Sadd always looks forward to winning titles and we are hoping we can add one more Qatar Cup title,” he told Qatar News Agency (QNA) yesterday."The cup final is always a one-off game. The past results or your current form does not matter. The team has to perform on the day. We aim to secure our first title tomorrow and then look for other tournaments ahead of us,” El Kaabi 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. 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. El Kaabi, who scored 25 goals in 55 games during his two-year stay at Hatayspor, said he was honoured to play for Sadd."I have high aspirations to win the title with Sadd. I feel honoured to wear the Sadd shirt – one of the oldest clubs in the history of Qatari football. Playing at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was an amazing experience. My time with Al Sadd has been terrific too. There is excellent harmony among players. I have adapted very quickly and the atmosphere in the team is great. I hope I can give my best at Sadd and meet the expectations of fans,” he noted.Regarding Al Sadd’s chances of retaining the title of QNB Stars League, El Kaabi said that there is nothing impossible in football, and the opportunity might be challenging but still exists. The defending champs are seven points behind leader Al Duhail. "We still have four matches till the end of the league, one of which will be against Duhail. We play as a team, work together, and fight till the last whistle,” the Moroccan said.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.
April 06, 2023 | 12:00 AM